A SpaceX capsule just returned, but Starliner's astronauts weren't aboard
What's the story
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore—test pilots for Boeing's Starliner spacecraft's maiden crewed flight—had originally planned a week-long trip to the International Space Station (ISS).
However, as the Starliner faced technical issues, NASA deemed it too risky for their return journey. Thus, they were to be brought back on a SpaceX capsule instead.
Despite their change of transport, Williams and Wilmore did not return aboard a Crew Dragon, part of the Crew-8 mission, which departed from ISS on Wednesday.
Mission details
Crew-8's successful return
The four astronauts assigned to the Crew-8 mission—NASA's Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps and Roscoscos's Alexander Grebenkin—had been on the ISS since March 5, about three months longer than Williams and Wilmore.
The Crew-8 team, part of a regular crew rotation at the ISS, successfully splashed down off Florida's coast on Friday.
Williams and Wilmore were left behind simply because they weren't assigned to that spacecraft. Spaceflights are usually complex and require more advance planning.
Delayed return
Stranded astronauts will return next year
The stranded astronauts are now set to return home aboard SpaceX's Crew-9 mission.
To make room for them, NASA and SpaceX had to tweak the Crew-9 capsule and astronaut assignments ahead of its launch on September 28.
This ensured enough space for Williams and Wilmore when it wraps up its ISS mission no earlier than February 2025.
Extended stay
Technical issues with Starliner extend astronauts' stay
Williams and Wilmore's trip to the ISS wasn't a regular crew rotation but Starliner's first crewed flight.
They departed on June 4, expecting a swift return. However, several critical issues such as gas leaks and thruster problems with their Starliner capsule on its maiden voyage left them stuck at the ISS while engineers looked into the issues.
After weeks of uncertainty, Starliner made an uncrewed return journey to Earth.
Adapting roles
Astronauts adapt to extended stay and new responsibilities
Upon arriving at the ISS, Williams and Wilmore were guests but have now joined Expedition 72, the international crew of astronauts serving as the space station's official staff.
Williams even took command of the whole space station on September 22.
As part of Crew-9 and the formal expedition, they will do typical crew work like conducting spacewalks outside the space station, maintaining it, and following a tight schedule of science experiments.