Astronauts Stranded on ISS for Nine Months Set for SpaceX Rescue

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, stranded due to Boeing Starliner malfunctions, are expected to return to Earth later this month aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule.

Wilmore and Williams were originally on an eight-day mission in June 2024, but technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft extended their stay on the International Space Station to nine months.
NASA deemed the Starliner unsafe for return due to propulsion problems and helium leaks, leading to delays in their rescue mission.
SpaceX's Dragon capsule, which has been docked at the ISS since September, is expected to bring the astronauts back to Earth after a crew handover scheduled for mid-March.
Elon Musk claimed that the Biden administration rejected an earlier SpaceX offer to rescue the astronauts, a statement Wilmore said he believes but has no firsthand knowledge of.
President Trump authorized SpaceX to proceed with the rescue, criticizing the previous administration for alleged delays and joking about personally joining the mission.