Two Astronauts Became Stranded in Space in 2024 — What Happened to Them, and How Will They Get Back?

The very concept of space travel requires very little room for error. Astronauts and space engineers belabor the most minute details over shuttle maintenance and astronaut safety to ensure that nothing goes wrong and that every single person involved can explore the vast reaches of space as safely as possible. And as previous IRL disasters or even sci-fi movies will tell you, one mistake can lead to absolute disaster. Just ask the crew of the Boeing Starliner.

As if the controversy surrounding Boeing and its lax safety regulations for its aircraft wasn't bad enough, the name became even more infamous after the Boeing Crew Flight Test went sideways. On June 5, 2024, astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry E. Willmore boarded the Boeing Starliner space capsule and were launched into orbit. Their mission was originally intended to last eight days, but it was suddenly extended to over 90 days after major technical issues. Why are they stranded?

Almost immediately as the Starliner began to dock with the International Space Station (ISS), engineers detected issues with the capsule's thrusters. Ground Control detected helium leaks in its propulsion system, potentially impacting Starliner's flight capabilities. To make matters worse, the crew discovered more and more leaks. While the astronauts were able to dock with the ISS and join their crew safely, a major investigation was held throughout June to try and determine the issues with Starliner.

Williams's and Willmore's stay was already being extended by two months amid the investigation. During that time, however, NASA deemed it too risky to have the astronauts return aboard a craft as faulty as Starliner. Instead, they've been made to wait over 90 days until February 2025 for their earliest return to Earth. They are expected to be picked up by a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

The craft itself is expected to return uncrewed in mid-September.

While it might be a stretch to say that the Starliner was doomed from the start, the signs all seem to point that way. According to NBC, Boeing's Starliner — which the company created in order to compete against SpaceX — was already $1.5 billion over budget by the time it launched. Reportedly, the mission saw several delays due to severe maintenance issues and faulty test launches. The mission also saw two failed launch attempts on May 6, 2024, and June 1, 2024.

All in all, nothing seemed to go right with Boeing's Starliner leading to its launch, making it a miracle that the two astronauts even managed to reach the ISS safely. It just goes to show you that you should never ignore the omens when it comes to space travel. Oh, and stop flying Boeing. Their track record for safety has been pretty awful lately in both the air and even in space.