The stranded Boeing Starliner astronauts planned to hitch a ride home with SpaceX, but their space

sex will return stranded astronauts next year to NASA astronauts who have been stuck in space for over two months will return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX NASA said the Boeing Starliner spacecraft the astronaut Sita Williams and Barry Wilmore had traveled to International Space Station ISS onw return to Earth uncrewed the pair took off on what was planned to be an 8-day mission on the 5th of June but will now spend around 8 months in orbit the Starliner experienced problems on its way to the ISS including leaks of helium which pushes fuel into the propulsion system several thrusters also did not work properly Boeing and SpaceX were both awarded billion dooll contracts by NASA to provide commercial space flights for its astronauts boeings was worth for dollars to £318 while SpaceX which was founded by billionaire Lin mus got to doll6 SpaceX has so far sent nine crude flights to space for NASA as well as some commercial missions but this was Boeing's first attempt at a crude Mission engineers at Boeing and NASA have spent months trying to understand the technical issues with the Starliner craft they have been carrying out tests and Gathering data both in space and back on the earth their Hope was to pin down the root of the problems and find a way to return the astronauts home safely on Starliner at a press conference on Saturday NASA administrator Bill Nelson said Boeing has been working closely with NASA to understand what improvements need to be made to the spacecraft space flight is a risk even at its safest and even at its most routine and a test flight by nature is neither safe nor routine he said our core value is safety and it is our North Star the decision has been made to extend the parish stay on the ISS until February 2025 so they can return on a SpaceX crew Dragon spacecraft the extra time allows SpaceX to launch its next vehicle with liftoff scheduled for the end of September it was supposed to have for astronauts on board but will instead travel to the space station with two this leaves room for Mr Wilmore and Miss Williams to join them in the vehicle to return to Earth at the end of its planned Mission next February