Two astronauts launched into space aboard a Boeing Starliner capsule are now slated to remain in space till the end of February 2025. Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will formally continue their work until they fly home aboard a Dragon spacecraft with two other crew members assigned to a SpaceX Crew-9 mission.
“The space station is well-stocked with everything the crew needs, including food, water, clothing, and oxygen. Additionally, NASA and its space station partners frequently launch resupply missions to the orbiting complex carrying additional supplies and cargo,” the space agency explained in a recent statement.
The International Space Station was also visited recently by a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft carrying 8,200 pounds of food, fuel, supplies, and science and a Progress resupply spacecraft carrying three tons of cargo. NASA also has additional SpaceX resupply missions planned through the end of 2024.
Crew living on board the ISS also have access to the Vegetable Production System (Veggie) which is investigating the growth of plants in space. The system has been used to grow fresh produce and even flowers — providing astronauts with nutritious fresh food and a morale boost. Williams and Wilmore and Williams have also been testing how different techniques could benefit crop growth in space during their stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.
The duo are now slated to return on aboard a SpaceX spacecraft in late February while their empty Starliner capsule will undock in early September and attempt to return on autopilot.
“Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine. The decision to keep Butch and Sunita aboard the International Space Station and bring Boeing's Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety,” explained NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
(With inputs from agencies)
