Space is hard. Seriously. We often treat rocket launches like a bus schedule, but when things go sideways, they stay sideways for a long time. If you’re asking did astronauts come home yet, you’re likely thinking of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. They've been living a bit of a literal nightmare—well, maybe "nightmare" is too strong since they're professional badasses, but it’s definitely not what they signed up for. They went up for an eight-day stay. They've been there for months.
The short answer? No. Not yet.
But the "why" behind it is where things get genuinely wild. It isn't just a mechanical glitch; it’s a massive PR disaster for Boeing, a logistics puzzle for NASA, and a testament to how much we rely on SpaceX to bail everyone out. It’s kinda funny when you think about it—the "old guard" of aviation getting outclassed by the "new kid" while two people are stuck floating 250 miles above us.
The Starliner Saga: Why They Are Still Up There
Boeing’s Starliner was supposed to be the glorious return of a legacy giant. Instead, it became a cautionary tale. When Butch and Suni launched on June 5, 2024, the "Crew Flight Test" was meant to be the final hurdle before regular service. Then the thrusters started acting up. Helium leaked. Imagine driving a car where the steering wheel occasionally decides to ignore you while the gas tank is dripping. You wouldn't drive that home on the highway, right? NASA decided they weren't going to drive it back through the atmosphere either.
Spacecraft have to hit a very specific "keyhole" when re-entering. If the thrusters fail during that burn, you don't just miss the landing—you either bounce off the atmosphere or burn up. NASA, scarred by the memories of Challenger and Columbia, chose the "safety first" route. They sent the Starliner capsule back empty in September 2024. It landed fine, ironically, but the risk was too high to put humans inside.
So, where does that leave our astronauts? They’re essentially hitching a ride on a bus that hasn’t arrived yet.
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Living on the ISS When You Weren't Supposed to Stay
Most people think being stuck in space sounds cool. For a weekend? Sure. For eight months? It’s a job. A cramped, noisy, physically taxing job. The International Space Station (ISS) is about the size of a six-bedroom house, but you're sharing it with a rotating crew of 7 to 12 people.
Did astronauts come home yet? No, because they had to be integrated into the "Expedition 71/72" long-duration crew. They aren't just guests anymore; they are full-time janitors, scientists, and repair techs. They've been doing "spacewalks" to fix aging hardware and managing cargo ships.
Think about the personal toll. They missed birthdays. They missed holidays. They're wearing "loaner" clothes because their suitcases weren't packed for a winter in orbit. NASA actually had to send up extra food and clothes on a Northrop Grumman resupply mission because the ISS pantry wasn't stocked for two extra mouths for half a year.
The SpaceX Rescue Plan
The current plan—and the reason they haven't come home yet—is the SpaceX Crew-9 mission. This is the ultimate "I told you so" for Elon Musk’s company. NASA stripped two seats off a standard SpaceX flight to leave room for Butch and Suni to fly back.
- Crew-9 launched in late September 2024.
- It only carried two astronauts (Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov) instead of the usual four.
- The two empty seats are reserved for Butch and Suni.
- The return date? Roughly February 2025.
It's a long wait. By the time they touch down in the ocean, they’ll have spent roughly eight months in space for a mission that was supposed to last about 200 hours.
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Why This Matters for the Future of Space Flight
This isn't just about two people being "stuck." It’s about the "Commercial Crew Program." For years, the U.S. relied on Russia’s Soyuz rockets to get to the ISS. That was awkward, to say the least, given the geopolitical climate. NASA wanted two domestic "taxis": Boeing and SpaceX.
SpaceX has been hitting home runs. Boeing has been striking out. If Boeing can't fix Starliner, NASA is stuck with a monopoly. Nobody wants that in aerospace. Competition keeps costs down and, theoretically, safety up. But right now, the competition is looking pretty one-sided.
Ken Bowersox, a former astronaut and high-ranking NASA official, has been very transparent about the tension. There was a lot of back-and-forth between Boeing engineers (who thought the ship was safe) and NASA’s safety hawks. In the end, the "burn" from the 2003 Columbia disaster still hurts too much to take gambles.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Stuck" Narrative
The media loves the word "marooned." It sounds like The Martian. But Butch and Suni aren't in danger. The ISS is the safest place to be if your ship breaks down. They have oxygen, they have "recycled" water (yes, it’s what you think it is), and they have plenty of work to do.
They are also highly trained military test pilots. These aren't tourists who won a sweepstakes. They are people who spent their entire careers preparing for "contingencies." When Suni Williams spoke to reporters from orbit, she didn't sound like a victim. She sounded like a woman who was bummed about missing her dogs but ready to get the work done.
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Honestly, the biggest risk isn't the vacuum of space; it’s bone density loss and radiation. The longer you stay up there, the more your body starts to "de-evolve" for gravity. Their exercise routine has to be grueling—two hours a day of resistance training just to make sure they can walk when they finally do hit the ground.
The Long Road to February 2025
So, if you’re checking your watch, stop. The answer to did astronauts come home yet will remain "no" for several more months. The Crew-9 Dragon capsule is currently docked at the ISS, acting as their "lifeboat." If there’s an emergency on the station tomorrow, they’ll hop in that SpaceX ship and come home. But if everything stays "nominal," they’ll wait until the scheduled end of the mission in early 2025.
Actionable Insights for Following the Mission
If you want to keep tabs on this without falling for clickbait, here is what you actually need to do:
- Watch the NASA "Space to Ground" updates. Every Friday, NASA drops a short video on YouTube. It’s the best way to see what Butch and Suni are actually doing day-to-day.
- Track the ISS Position. Use an app like "ISS Detector." Seeing that little dot of light fly over your house makes the whole thing feel a lot more real. Those two people are in that tiny speck.
- Look for the "Crew-10" Launch. When NASA starts talking about the next SpaceX mission (Crew-10), that’s your signal that Butch and Suni’s ride home is almost ready to depart.
- Monitor the Boeing Post-Flight Analysis. The "empty" Starliner that landed in New Mexico is being torn apart by engineers right now. Whether or not it ever flies again will depend on what they find in those thruster housings.
The reality of space travel is that it’s 99% waiting and 1% sheer terror. Butch and Suni are currently in the waiting phase. They're safe, they're busy, and they're making the most of a bad situation. But they definitely haven't come home yet. Keep your eyes on the February 2025 calendar for the actual splashdown. Until then, they’re just two more residents of the highest laboratory in existence.
Next Steps for Readers: To get the most accurate, real-time data on the splashdown coordinates and timing, bookmark the NASA International Space Station blog. This is the only source that bypasses the "marooned" hype and gives you the raw docking and undocking schedules. If you are interested in the technical failure of the thrusters, look for the "Root Cause Analysis" reports expected to be briefed to the press in late 2024. These will determine if Boeing remains a player in the human spaceflight game or if we are entering a decade of total SpaceX dominance.