NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are stuck in space on the International Space Station due to a malfunction on their Boeing spacecraft. NASA is working on a plan to safely return them to Earth.
Key Points
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived on the ISS on June 5 and were supposed to stay until mid-June
Data analysis is ongoing, and a decision is expected by end of August
Contingency plans include potential return on SpaceX Crew-9 mission in September or using the Starliner spacecraft
Pros
NASA is actively working on a plan to safely return the astronauts to Earth
Boeing is confident in the safety of the Starliner spacecraft for the return journey
Cons
Astronauts have been stuck on the ISS since June due to propulsion problems and helium leaks
There are still ongoing data analysis and decision-making processes before a return plan is finalized