After two months, astronauts stranded at the ISS may have a way back home

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01387-9

By Carissa Wong

Two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, have been stuck at the International Space Station (ISS) for two months due to hardware issues with their spacecraft, Boeing’s Starliner. Originally planned for an eight-day mission, the astronauts have been waiting as NASA and Boeing investigate the problems, including a helium leak and faulty thrusters. Now, NASA is considering a backup plan to bring the astronauts home using SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, potentially cutting two crew members from a scheduled mission to make room for Wilmore and Williams. While Boeing remains confident in Starliner, this situation is a significant blow to the company’s reputation and finances. NASA is expected to decide on the astronauts’ return plan later this month.