They were only supposed to be gone for eight days. Eight. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams packed for a quick trip, a "taxi ride" to the International Space Station (ISS) to prove that Boeing’s Starliner could finally compete with SpaceX. But space is rarely that simple. If you're asking are the astronauts still stranded, the answer depends entirely on how you define "stranded." If you mean "stuck in space with no way home," the answer is a firm no. If you mean "staying way past their welcome because their ride broke," then yeah, they've been there a while.
It’s been months.
The drama started back in June 2024. As the Calypso capsule approached the ISS, thrusters started failing. Helium was leaking. NASA and Boeing engineers spent weeks staring at monitors in Houston, trying to figure out if the ship was safe enough to bring the crew back through the literal fire of re-entry. In the end, NASA made a call that bruised a lot of corporate egos: Starliner would come back empty, and Butch and Suni would wait for a ride from their rivals at SpaceX.
The long wait for a Dragon
Technically, they aren't "stranded" because there was always a plan. But let's be real—when you go to work for a week and your boss tells you you're staying for eight months, it feels like being stranded. To understand the timeline, you have to look at the logistics of the ISS. You can’t just send up a rescue pod the next day. It’s a game of orbital musical chairs.
NASA decided to keep the duo on the station until the next standard crew rotation. This meant waiting for the SpaceX Crew-9 mission. That mission launched in late September 2024, but with a twist. It went up with two empty seats. Those seats are reserved for Butch and Suni to use when the mission concludes in early 2025.
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Think about that for a second. These two veteran Navy captains have transitioned from "test pilots" to "full-time station residents." They’ve been integrated into the Expedition 71 and 72 crews. They’re doing the chores, the science experiments, and the maintenance. Honestly, it’s probably a bit surreal. One day you’re testing a new cockpit, the next you’re fixing a space toilet because you’re the extra hands on deck.
Why couldn't they just use the Starliner?
NASA is allergic to risk, and for good reason. They remember Challenger. They remember Columbia. When the thrusters on the Starliner's service module began acting up, the data wasn't clear. Engineers did ground tests at White Sands, firing thrusters until they literally fell apart to see what went wrong. They found that a small Teflon seal was bulging and restricting fuel flow.
While Boeing insisted the ship was "safe enough," NASA leadership, including Steve Stich and Ken Bowersox, didn't want to gamble. If those thrusters failed during the critical de-orbit burn, the astronauts could have been lost. So, the empty Starliner unhooked from the station in September and landed in New Mexico. It landed successfully, which sparked a lot of "I told you so" from Boeing, but NASA stands by the decision. Better to be safe and bored on the ISS than a tragic headline.
Living in a giant metal can
The ISS is big, about the size of a six-bedroom house, but it gets crowded. With Butch and Suni staying on, the station population has fluctuated between seven and eleven people. This creates some weird logistical hurdles.
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- Oxygen and Scrubbers: The life support systems have to work harder.
- Food: NASA has to send up extra "care packages" on cargo ships like the Northrop Grumman Cygnus or the SpaceX Dragon cargo variant.
- Sleeping: There aren't enough dedicated sleep quarters for everyone. Butch and Suni have had to get creative, basically "camping out" in various modules or using the SpaceX Dragon as a temporary bedroom.
They’re professionals, though. Suni Williams is a former station commander. She’s spent hundreds of days in space. If anyone can handle a surprise eight-month extension, it’s her. She even joked in a televised press conference that space is her "happy place." But you have to wonder about the toll it takes on their families back on Earth. Missed birthdays, missed holidays, and the constant hum of the station's fans instead of a quiet night at home.
The Boeing vs. SpaceX rivalry is now a lopsided rout
This whole situation has been a disaster for Boeing's PR. While asking are the astronauts still stranded, the public is also asking why Boeing can’t get it right. SpaceX has been flying crews since 2020. Boeing is years behind schedule and billions over budget on a fixed-price contract.
The optics are brutal. The fact that NASA had to call Elon Musk’s company to "rescue" the Boeing crew is the ultimate corporate humiliation. It’s like a Ferrari breaking down on the highway and the driver having to hitch a ride in a Tesla. Boeing is currently evaluating the future of the Starliner program. There are serious questions about whether the CST-100 will ever fly humans again. Some analysts think Boeing might just take the loss and walk away, especially with their commercial airplane division facing its own mountain of troubles.
What actually happens next?
The clock is ticking toward February 2025. That is the current target for the Crew-9 Dragon to depart the ISS and head for a splashdown off the coast of Florida. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be in those two extra seats.
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When they land, they will have spent roughly 240 days in orbit for a mission that was slated for 8. Their bodies will have changed. Microgravity wreaks havoc on bone density and muscle mass. They’ve been exercising for hours every day on the station's treadmill and weightlifting machine (ARED) to mitigate this, but the recovery process back on Earth will still take months.
Practical steps for following the return
If you want to track the actual return and stop wondering are the astronauts still stranded, you need to keep an eye on a few specific milestones. The "stranded" narrative will officially end when they hit the water, but the prep starts weeks before.
- Watch for the "Handover": In late January 2025, you'll see news about Crew-10 preparing for launch. This is the signal that the rotation is starting.
- Monitor NASA TV: They broadcast the undocking ceremonies. It’s surprisingly emotional. You’ll see Butch and Suni hug the remaining crew members before sealing the hatch of the Dragon.
- Track the Landing Site: Depending on weather, SpaceX usually targets the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic side of Florida. High winds can delay the return by days, so don't be surprised if the "stranded" status gets extended by a week due to a hurricane or rough seas.
Check the official NASA "International Space Station" blog. It's the most reliable source. Social media is full of rumors about "oxygen running out" or "tensions on board," but the official logs show a very routine, albeit crowded, mission. The astronauts are busy. They aren't sitting by the window staring at Earth with a "help me" sign. They're working.
The lesson here is about the inherent unpredictability of the "Commercial Crew" era. We’ve treated space travel like a bus route for the last few years, but Butch and Suni’s long summer (and winter) in space proves that we're still at the mercy of the vacuum. Space is hard. It doesn't care about your eight-day itinerary. It doesn't care about corporate stock prices. It only cares about physics. And right now, the physics say they’re staying put until the next Dragon is ready to bring them home.