Overview

• Two American astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, have been stranded on the ISS since June 2024 due to technical failures in Boeing's Starliner capsule.
• The Starliner experienced propulsion failures and helium leaks during its inaugural flight, prompting NASA to return it to Earth empty for safety reasons.
• SpaceX's Crew Dragon, docked at the ISS since Sunday, is scheduled to bring the astronauts back to Earth on Tuesday at 17:57 local time (21:57 GMT).
• The return schedule was adjusted to allow for ISS crew handover tasks and to avoid unfavorable weather conditions later in the week.
• Despite their extended stay, Williams and Wilmore will not break the record for the longest time spent in space, held by Frank Rubio at 371 days.