After taking off on June 6 on a trip that was supposed to last eight days, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been stranded in space for over 60 days, so NASA activated a contingency plan to bring them back to Earth as soon as possible. However, they do not rule out the possibility of them returning by early 2025.
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The New York Post reported that astronauts launched to the International Space Station aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, but while in space, they reported several helium leaks and propulsion failures.
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NASA reported on Wednesday that they are preparing an alternative plan to bring them back on the SpaceX CrewDragon, which could be ready as soon as February of next year.
“We have been working with SpaceX to ensure they are ready to respond with Crew-9 as a contingency,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
During the next few weeks, different tests will be conducted. The idea is to bring them back soon, but if there is too much risk, we will have no choice but to wait until February 2025.
"We will probably have to decide, probably around mid-August, on one path or another to move forward and meet the Crew-9 launch date," Stich stated.
NASA and its mission for the astronauts' return home
NASA notified that initially, the SpaceX mission was scheduled to launch on August 18, but it has now been postponed to September 24.
"The Post says, "Although NASA is actively working with SpaceX on the contingency plan, it has not yet made a final decision on which shuttle the two astronauts will return in.""
Stich stated that “we have not formally committed to this path, but we wanted to make sure we have all that flexibility in place.”