Astronauts spent 10 months in space after Boeing Starliner failure delayed NASA mission return

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were set to spend just over a week in space, flying Boeing’s new Starliner capsule in June 2024. When Boeing’s spacecraft ran into technical issues in the thrusters during the approach to the International Space Station (ISS), however, it resulted in a critical delay in the docking, and immediate concern over whether the astronauts would be able to make it back to Earth.

In the end, after intervention with support from Mission Control, the astronauts were able to restart the thrusters and get the spacecraft to dock with the ISS. The astronauts were in space for some 10 months, far more than the planned eight-day mission; all the while, the two astronauts maintained a focus on solution resolution and relied on their training to process a situation normally not theorized about during preflight planning.

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Boeing Starliner delays return; SpaceX provides ride

After the initial complications, NASA identified human safety risks in returning astronauts on a Starliner and they returned on a SpaceX capsule on March 18, 2025. Although Boeing announced its vehicle was safe to use, NASA looked after its astronauts and made that decision for them. Later, the uncrewed Starliner returned to earth in September, 2024 confirming Boeing's safety assurances, but that all happened afterwards.

Throughout the mission, Williams and Wilmore were often called 'stranded' in news reports, despite numerous options for a quick return from the ISS being offered. The astronauts fully embraced their extended stay by running numerous experiments aboard the ISS and adopting a daily routine of exercise to remain active physically during zero gravity time.

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Recovery on Earth and Starliner’s future

Both astronauts said they felt strong and healthy when they returned, and they credited their fitness to consistent exercise in space. Wilmore stated that he was "literally stronger than I've ever been" after doing squats and deadlifts nearly every day on the mission. Williams was also able to get back to running on Earth quickly, although she told the audience that re-adapting to the effects of gravity was physically difficult.

Since their mission ended, both astronauts have been part of team efforts with NASA and Boeing to work through the technical issues that the Starliner experienced. And both astronauts said they were confident about what the vehicle could accomplish in the future. Despite being trapped in a spacecraft that was ultimately not "operational" for a longer duration than they thought they would ever be, the astronauts stated they would still be willing to fly on Starliner again, citing the Starliner as a "very capable spacecraft" that had its own advantages for future use.