Boeing astronauts 'stranded' on Space Station: What we know (2024)

Two NASA astronauts are still orbiting Earth on the International Space Station, going on two weeks since they were supposed to be back on land.

Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Suni Williams remain on the ISS as Boeing and NASA engineers work to fix a series of helium leaks on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that ferried them into space on its first crewed voyage.

Starliner, which had been delayed several times before its June 5 liftoff, experienced some thruster issues en route to the ISS in addition to the helium leaks, though NASA says the spacecraft has been "performing well in orbit while docked to the space station."

The space agency also said Wilmore and Williams are not "stranded" as they could undock and fly home at any time if deemed necessary. They are being kept in orbit passed their planned return to "allow mission teams time to review propulsion system data."

The Starliner can spend up to 45 days docked to the space station.

"We are taking our time and following our standard mission management team process," Steve Stich, NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager, said in a statement. "We are letting the data drive our decision making relative to managing the small helium system leaks and thruster performance."

Wilmore and Williams were originally scheduled to return to Earth via the Starliner on June 22. That was pushed back to June 26, and then pushed back again on Friday to an undetermined date.

It took three attempts for the Starliner's first crewed mission to launch. The project, intended to provide a second option for astronauts and cargo to reach orbit in addition to SpaceX's Crew Dragon program, had been sidelined by delays and engineering issues for years.

Despite the delays, Mark Nappi, the vice president and program manager of the Commercial Crew Program for Boeing, said in a statement that Wilmore and Williams remain "overwhelmingly positive."

Who Is Butch Wilmore?

Barry "Butch" Wilmore, 61, is a NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy test pilot who is acting as the commander of Starliner. He was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 2000.

Wilmore, who is from Tennessee and now lives in Houston, has previously served on two spaceflights, including piloting the Space Shuttle to the ISS in 2009 one of its last missions before the shuttle program was retired.

Five years later, Wilmore went back to the ISS, hitching a ride on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft for a mission that saw astronauts 3D print tools in space for the first time.

Those two flights allowed him to accumulate 178 days in orbit.

As a Navy test pilot, Wilmore participated in the development of the T-45 Goshawk jet trainer, including high angle-of-attack tests and carrier landing certification.

A graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, Wilmore completed four military deployments, flying missions in support of Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Southern Watch.

The veteran pilot has received numerous honors, including the Navy Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the U.S. Atlantic Fleet "Light Attack Wing One Pilot of the Year," the NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award, and the Combat "V" designation.

He retired as a captain in the U.S. Navy.

Who Is Suni Williams?

Sunita Williams, 58, is also a NASA astronaut and U.S. Navy officer, and Wilmore's co-pilot on the Starliner mission.

Williams was the junior commissioned officer in the Navy in 1987. After six-months assigned at the Naval Coastal System Command, she earned the designation of Basic Diving Officer. She later was designated a Naval Aviator in 1989.

She made overseas deployments with the Helicopter Combat Support Squadron 8 from Virginia to the Mediterranean, Red Sea and Persian Gulf as part of the Operation Desert Shield and Operation Provide Comfort missions.

Williams was the officer-in-charge of an H-46 detachment sent to Miami for Hurricane Andrew relief efforts in 1992.

She returned to the Naval Test Pilot School after graduating in 1993, as an instructor in the Rotary Wing Department.

Williams was deployed on the USS Saipan in June 1998 when she was selected by the NASA program. She started her astronaut training two months later.

After several missions to the ISS, in 2012 Williams was named the commander of the space station, becoming only the second woman to do so.

Williams, who is from Massachusetts and now lives in Houston, previously held the record for most spacewalks by a woman, at seven. She also held the record for most spacewalk time for a woman, at 50 hours and 40 minutes.

In 2007, Williams was the first person to run a marathon in space. Back on Earth, she ran the Boston Marathon later that year, finishing in 4 hours and 24 minutes. In 2012, she became the first astronaut to do a triathlon in space, using the ISS' treadmill, stationary bike and an Advanced Resistive Exercise Device to do weightlifting and resistance work that imitated swimming.

Williams has taken the Slovenian flag, a samosa and Carniolan sausage to space to honor her Indian and Slovenian heritages.

She has received the Legion of Merit, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal.