WASHINGTON:

In an unexpected turn of events, NASA has announced that two US astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, will remain on the International Space Station (ISS) until at least late March 2025. Originally slated to spend only eight days aboard the orbiting laboratory, the duo's mission has become a prolonged stay in space due to a series of unforeseen circumstances.

Wilmore and Williams arrived at the ISS in June aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. However, during their journey, critical issues with the Starliner’s propulsion system were detected, prompting NASA to revise their return plans significantly. Instead of returning on the Starliner, NASA decided to bring the astronauts back alongside the members of the upcoming SpaceX Crew-9 mission.

Crew-9 arrived at the ISS in late September, bringing with it two empty seats intended for Wilmore and Williams. The initial expectation was for a brief period on the ISS, with a return planned for February 2025. However, the latest updates indicate a substantial delay: NASA has confirmed that the relief mission, Crew-10, is now not expected to launch until March 2025 or later, extending Wilmore and Williams’ stay to an astonishing nine months.

"This delay allows both NASA and SpaceX to ensure that the new Dragon spacecraft is fully ready for the mission," NASA explained in their official blog post. The staggering extension of their mission means that Wilmore and Williams will need to adjust to a much longer life in microgravity, which can pose unique challenges to both mental and physical health.

Meanwhile, SpaceX, the trailblazing company founded by Elon Musk, has maintained a flight schedule facilitating the rotation of ISS crews approximately every six months. The company's innovative approach has reshaped how astronauts travel to and from the ISS, yet these delays highlight the unpredictable nature of space missions.

The international community watches closely as NASA navigates this challenge, raising questions about the implications for future astronaut missions and the overall logistics of crew rotations aboard the ISS.