Two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who were set to return to Earth in August 2024, will now remain in space until February 2025 due to spacecraft issues.

They launched on June 5, 2024, for what was planned as an eight-day mission.
However, problems with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft, including helium leaks and faulty thrusters, delayed their return, according to the BBC.
NASA decided that due to safety concerns, the Starliner, originally meant to bring them back, would return to Earth without a crew. As a result, their return has been rescheduled for early 2025 using a SpaceX vehicle.
The astronauts addressed their extended stay during a press conference last Friday.
“This is my happy place. I love being up here in space,” Williams said.
Wilmore added, “It was trying at times. There were some tough times all the way through.
“That’s how things go in this business.”
Military.com reports that this was the astronauts’ first public comment since the Boeing Starliner capsule, which brought them to the International Space Station in June, returned to Earth.
According to the BBC, they are currently sharing the ISS with nine others. Mission control on Earth carefully schedules their day, which typically begins around 06:30 GMT.
The crew’s compartments are equipped with laptops for staying in touch with family, along with small personal spaces for items like photos and books. Their bathroom is a compact unit with a suction system, and while sweat and urine are usually recycled into drinking water, a fault on the ISS means the crew is temporarily storing urine.
The astronauts then carry out their duties, mainly maintenance or scientific experiments, and remain optimistic despite the challenges.
“We are pushing the edges of the envelope in everything that we do. And it is not easy,” Wilmore said. “It’s not an easy thing to do, but that’s not why we do it. Maybe we do it because it’s hard.”
“We’re both Navy. We’ve both been on deployments. We’re not surprised when deployments get changed,” Williams added.
Although they will miss the US elections in November, Williams looks forward to voting from space.
“It’s a very important duty that we have as citizens, and [we’re] looking forward to being able to vote from space, which is pretty cool,” Williams told newsmen.
The decision to extend the astronauts’ stay on the ISS until February 2025 was made so they can return on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
This extension gives SpaceX time to prepare its next launch, scheduled for late September. Originally planned to carry four astronauts, the spacecraft will now launch with only two.
This change ensures that Wilmore and Williams can return to Earth aboard the vehicle when its mission concludes in February.
The astronauts mentioned that while they miss their families and friends, they are enjoying their time on the ISS and the work they are doing as part of the crew.
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