By Gizem Nisa Cebi
ISTANBUL (AA)— NASA announced Tuesday that the return of astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will be delayed, extending their unplanned stay on the International Space Station (ISS) to over nine months.
"NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 now is targeting no earlier than late March 2025 to launch four crew members to the space station," NASA stated on X.
Initially set for an eight-day mission in June aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, the astronauts became stranded due to issues with the Starliner’s propulsion system, according to a statement from the space agency.
NASA had planned to return the uncrewed Starliner and bring Williams and Wilmore back aboard SpaceX's Crew-9 mission, which launched in September with two vacant seats for the astronauts.
However, the next crew rotation mission, Crew-10, has been postponed from February to no earlier than late March 2025. The spacecraft is expected to arrive at SpaceX’s processing facility in Florida in early January.
- New Dragon spacecraft readiness
This delay provides additional time for the processing of a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, NASA confirmed.
"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 Stich explained.
"We appreciate the hard work by the SpaceX team to expand the Dragon fleet in support of our missions and the flexibility of the station program and expedition crews as we work together to complete the new capsule’s readiness for flight."
NASA and SpaceX evaluated other options, including using a different Dragon spacecraft or adjusting the manifest, but decided delaying Crew-10 was the best option to meet the space agency’s needs and ensure ISS objectives for 2025, said the statement.
Williams and Wilmore will leave the ISS alongside Crew-9 members after a standard "handover period" when Crew-10 arrives. Their extended stay will see them exceed their original mission duration by nearly 36 weeks.
- Upcoming missions
The Crew-10 mission will include NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, and Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi.
The crew is currently training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Meanwhile, all astronauts remain active in research, maintenance, and preparations for upcoming missions. Their experience will help NASA understand the impact of long-duration missions on human health as the agency prepares for future exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, continues to play a vital role in ISS crew rotations, with NASA relying on its Dragon spacecraft for regular six-month missions.