Why Stranded NASA Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore Weren't on SpaceX Capsule’s Return Voyage

Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore are still in space despite the recent launch of a return capsule from the International Space Station.

Even though the astronauts have been at the ISS since June—when their Boeing Starliner experienced equipment failure, forcing NASA to extend their eight-day mission indefinitely—they did not catch a ride back to Earth on the agency's SpaceX Crew-8 craft, which successfully touched down Oct. 25.

That's because the Crew-8 flight was already assigned to NASA's Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps as well as Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, who had all been on the ISS since March—approximately three months longer than Williams and Wilmore.

The four-person team was part of a regular crew rotation on the ISS and had long been assigned to the Crew-8 flight. In fact, their mission home had already been delayed several times due to bad weather around Florida, preventing the departure of the capsule. 

Overall, they spent a total of 232 days aboard the space station.

So, when will Williams and Wilmore finally get back to Earth? As NASA previously announced, the two astronauts will be leaving the ISS on the Crew-9 flight, which is scheduled to depart in February.

"The decision to keep Butch and Suni on board the International Space Station and bring the Boeing Starliner home uncrewed is the result of a commitment to safety," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during an August press conference. "Our core value is safety and it is our North Star."

In September, Williams and Wilmore's Boeing Starliner—which they were initially supposed to return home on—landed in New Mexico without any crew on board due to safety concerns.

"There was a lot of valuable learning that will enable our long-term success," NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich said in a statement at the time. "I want to commend the entire team for their hard work and dedication over the past three months."

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