NASA official announcements, major news outlets

NASA Chooses SpaceX to Bring Back Astronauts Stranded for 80 Days by Boeing's Starliner in February 2025

Aug 26, 2024, 04:02 PM

NASA has decided to use SpaceX's Dragon capsule to bring astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) in February 2025. The astronauts, part of the Crew-9 team, were initially sent to the ISS on Boeing's Starliner for a week-long mission in June 2024, but their return was delayed due to technical issues with the Starliner, including helium leaks and degraded thrusters. They have been in space for 80 days. As a result, the Starliner will return to Earth without a crew. This decision marks a significant setback for Boeing, which has faced numerous challenges with its space program, and highlights SpaceX's growing role in NASA's operations.