It’s the question that’s been hanging over NASA for months like a persistent fog. Are the astronauts back yet? If you’re talking about Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the short answer is a resounding "no," and they won’t be for a while. It’s wild to think about. They went up for an eight-day "test flight" in June 2024 and ended up stuck in orbit for the better part of a year.
Space is hard. We say that a lot, but this situation really drives it home. Boeing’s Starliner, the shiny new hope for American commercial spaceflight, basically hit a wall. Thruster failures. Helium leaks. Technical gremlins that nobody could quite pin down while the craft was docked to the International Space Station (ISS). NASA eventually had to make the call: Starliner would come home empty, and Butch and Suni would wait for a ride from the competition.
The Long Wait for a Dragon
Look, NASA doesn't take risks with human lives anymore. Not after Challenger and Columbia. So, even though Boeing engineers thought the ship was probably fine, "probably" doesn't cut it when you’re re-entering the atmosphere at Mach 25.
Basically, the plan shifted from a week-long trip to an eight-month marathon. To get them back, NASA had to reshuffle the entire manifest. They sent up the SpaceX Crew-9 mission with two empty seats. That happened back in September 2024. Now, Butch and Suni are officially part of the Expedition 71/72 crew. They’re working. They’re doing science. They aren't just sitting by a window staring at Earth, but man, they must miss a good burger and a shower that isn't a wet cloth.
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The current schedule has them returning in February 2025.
If you’re checking the calendar, that’s just around the corner, but in space time, it’s an eternity. They’ll be hitching a ride on the SpaceX Dragon capsule when the Crew-9 mission finishes its rotation. It’s a bit of a PR nightmare for Boeing, honestly. Imagine your car breaking down and you have to call your biggest rival to give you a lift home.
Why the Starliner Drama Matters
You might wonder why we’re even in this mess. NASA wanted two different companies—Boeing and SpaceX—to be able to fly astronauts. It’s called redundancy. If one rocket has a problem, you use the other. But SpaceX’s Dragon has been a workhorse while Starliner has been, well, a headache.
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- Thruster Issues: During the approach to the ISS, five of Starliner’s 28 reaction control system thrusters failed.
- Helium Leaks: The manifold that pushes fuel into the engines was leaking. Not a lot, but enough to make people nervous.
- Software Glitches: These go back years, including a previous uncrewed test where the clock was wrong and the ship almost burned up.
When Butch and Suni finally do touch down, they’ll have spent more time in space than almost any other "short-term" visitors in history. They’re pros, though. Suni Williams has already taken over as commander of the ISS. She’s not just waiting; she’s running the show.
Life on the ISS in 2026
By the time they get back, the landscape of space exploration will look even more crowded. We’re seeing more private missions, more talk of the Lunar Gateway, and the slow retirement of the ISS itself. The station is getting old. It’s noisy. It smells like ozone and burnt gunpowder, according to those who’ve been there.
There's a psychological toll, too. You miss birthdays. You miss holidays. You miss the smell of rain. Butch and Suni have missed all of it. But they are safe. That’s the most important thing. NASA’s decision to keep them there was controversial to some, but to anyone who understands the physics of orbital re-entry, it was the only logical choice.
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What Happens When They Finally Land?
The return won't be a quiet affair. When that Dragon capsule splashes down off the coast of Florida in early 2025, it’s going to be a media circus. Doctors will be standing by to check their bone density and muscle atrophy. Even with two hours of exercise a day on the ISS treadmills, the human body just degrades in microgravity.
Boeing is still trying to figure out what to do with Starliner. They’ve taken billions in charges. The future of that specific spacecraft is a giant question mark. Will NASA ever let humans fly on it again? Maybe. But they’ll have to prove it’s fixed first.
Actionable Next Steps for Space Fans
If you want to keep track of exactly when they hit the water, you don't have to guess.
- Follow the NASA Launch Schedule: The agency posts live updates for "Crew-9 Return" which is the specific flight Butch and Suni are on.
- Watch the ISS Above app: You can actually see the station fly over your house. It’s a bright, steady light. Knowing Butch and Suni are up there makes it feel a bit more personal.
- Check the "SpaceX" YouTube channel: They usually have the best 4K feeds of the docking and undocking maneuvers.
Keep an eye on the news toward the end of February. That’s the window. No more delays, hopefully. Just a straight shot home for two of the most patient people in the galaxy.
The reality is that spaceflight is still experimental. We get comfortable seeing Falcon 9s land every other week, but we shouldn't. It’s a violent, high-stakes business. Butch and Suni are a reminder that even when things go wrong, the training kicks in. They aren't "stuck" so much as they are "extended." But for their families, February can't come soon enough.