Homecoming for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams postponed until at least March due to crew replacement issues.

NASA has announced an extended stay for its astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, meaning they will remain in space for several more weeks. Their return to Earth, originally expected in February, has now been delayed until late March or possibly April. The two astronauts, who launched on Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June, were initially scheduled for a short, week-long mission to the International Space Station. However, their mission extended from eight days to eight months after NASA decided to delay the return of the Starliner capsule, which had encountered several issues.

NASA confirmed that the delay in their return is due to a hold-up in the launch of their replacement crew, which was originally set for February. SpaceX has encountered additional preparations needed for its new capsule, leading to a push in the launch schedule. The new crew is now expected to launch no earlier than late March, pushing back Wilmore and Williams’ planned return.

Originally, the plan was for the astronauts to return alongside two others after the February crew mission. However, as the new capsule is still being prepared, NASA decided to wait for it to be ready, rather than using a different spacecraft for the return journey. This decision aims to maintain a smooth transition, as NASA prefers to have overlapping crews aboard the space station.

Typically, astronauts spend around six months aboard the space station, although some missions extend up to a year. For Wilmore and Williams, their extended mission will now last nearly 10 months.