Stranded in Space: Why Starliner’s Uncrewed Return Left NASA Astronauts Waiting

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft safely completed its return to Earth, landing in New Mew Mexico’s White Sands Space Harbor at 12:01 am ET on Saturday, Sept. 7, after facing several challenges concluding an important test mission intended to certify the spacecraft as being safe to carry passengers to the International Space Station (ISS) and other locations.

Mission Overview: Delays and Challenges

Boeing and NASA initially launched the Starliner in June as part of a critical test mission for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. It was supposed to last eight days, with astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard conducting experiments before returning to Earth. However, safety concerns, including helium leaks and propulsion issues, led to the decision to return the spacecraft without the astronauts.

Stranded Astronauts

The decision to return the Starliner without Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams means that the astronauts had to stay behind aboard the ISS with no way home. Fortunately, SpaceX has stepped in and offered to bring them back aboard their Crew Dragon in February 2025. However, that still leaves the astronauts stranded for about seven months when they only intended to leave for eight days, highlighting the risks involved with forging the way for commercial spaceflight.

What’s Next for Starliner and Boeing?

With the uncrewed return now complete, NASA and Boeing will conduct a thorough analysis of the mission to identify and address any remaining issues and get the spacecraft ready to carry passengers. NASA still supports Boeing and the Starliner. However, after several setbacks, many are starting to wonder if Boeing will be able to rise to the challenge of commercial spaceflight, especially SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, whose company already has several successful missions completed at about half the cost of Boeing’s failures.

Who Are the Astronauts on the Starliner Mission?

The two astronauts assigned to Boeing’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission are Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Both are highly experienced NASA astronauts with extensive flight and test piloting backgrounds​. Butch Wilmore became an astronaut in 2000 and has flown on two space missions, including STS-129, where he helped take critical components to the ISS, and Expedition 41/42, where he spent 167 days aboard the International Space Station, conducting several spacewalks.

Suni Williams became a NASA astronaut in 1998 and has accomplished several missions, including Expedition 14/15, during which she spent 195 days in space and conducted several spacewalks that lasted more than 29 hours, and Expedition 32/33, during which she spent another 127 days in space and conducted several more spacewalks.

Williams holds the record for most spacewalks (7) by a female astronaut, with a cumulative EVA time of 50 hours and 40 minutes.

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