NASA Delays Return of Astronauts Stuck in Space Again: An Update

Two astronauts stuck aboard the International Space Station (ISS) didn't get the news they hoped for when NASA officials announced they delayed the duo's return to Earth.

The space agency made the update, which was a follow-up to another delayed return, on Dec. 17, 2024, more than six months after test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams blasted into space.

Not only did NASA announce the new anticipated return date, but it also informed the public about why it planned to continue to hold the pair on the ISS while it worked on some kinks on the ground.

You can learn more about the astronauts stuck in space, including when NASA plans to launch new ships to retrieve the waylaid passengers.

Wilmore and Williams will be stationed on the ISS until at least spring 2025, NASA officials said in a statement, due to the need for a new spaceship to remove them.

"Fabrication, assembly, testing, and final integration of a new spacecraft is a painstaking endeavor that requires great attention to detail," NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager, Steve Stitch, explained.

It sounds like there is some time before the spaceship that NASA plans to use for the pair's return flight is ready. While that's disappointing news for the astronauts and their families, it's likely good news for the possibility of a safe return for Williams and Wilmore.

The reason Williams and Wilmore are spending so much time in space has to do with the rocket that transported them there.

According to the Associated Press, the pair were brought on as test pilots tasked with flying the new Boeing Starliner capsule to the space station.

The voyage was meant to be a quick one-week jaunt, but issues with the capsule — which included helium leaks and thruster failures — prompted NASA to delay their return trip multiple times before scraping it all together.

Now, their week-long trip seems poised to stretch into 10 months, which is longer than the typical length of a space stay. The Associated Press says a typical trip to the ISS is six months long.

Fortunately, the duo doesn't seem that phased by the delays and have mentioned in interviews how much they're enjoying their extended stay at the moment.

According to the BBC, the delays have more to do with finding the right ship to get them. NASA also has to get a new crew installed on the ISS before removing the old one.

Unfortunately, that replacement crew's flight mission was delayed until February, which pushed Williams and Wilmore's ride as well.

Hopefully, the retired Navy officers continue to enjoy spending time on the ISS, since it sounds like they could still be there until at least April 2025.