Two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, will return to Earth in February 2025 with SpaceX. They were originally on an eight-day mission but will now spend around eight months in orbit due to issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. NASA announced that the Starliner will return to Earth without crew.

The spacecraft faced problems, including helium leaks and malfunctioning thrusters, during its journey to the International Space Station. Boeing and SpaceX were awarded billion-dollar contracts by NASA for commercial space flights. Engineers from Boeing and NASA have been working to resolve the technical issues with Starliner and are conducting tests to ensure the astronauts’ safe return.