PREVIEW

NASA Astronauts Adapt to Prolonged ISS Stay as Delayed Return Tests Patience. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, initially set for an eight-day mission in June 2024, have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) due to issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Speaking during a live video event, both astronauts denied feeling like “castaways,” referencing the Tom Hanks film. “We have a lot to do up here, and we have to get that stuff done before we go,” said Williams. The astronauts’ return has been repeatedly postponed, most recently in February 2025, due to complications with a SpaceX rocket scheduled for their retrieval. While awaiting NASA’s next crew arrival, the pair have become integral to the ISS team, conducting tasks like repairs and maintenance. The astronauts noted they have yet to observe California wildfires from orbit but plan to capture images to aid those on the ground when possible. Wilmore and Williams spent Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the U.S. election aboard the ISS. NASA ensured holiday items were included in recent cargo shipments. Boeing maintains the astronauts are “not stuck,” and Williams has referred to the ISS as her “happy place.” The pair remain safe, with resources like food, water, and oxygen replenished regularly. Next week, Williams will participate in her eighth spacewalk to replace essential orientation equipment and conduct other repairs. While their stay is extended, the astronauts are far from breaking records: Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov holds the longest space stay at 437 days, and NASA’s Frank Rubio recently completed a 371-day mission. The astronauts will return home alongside NASA’s Nick Hague and Roscosmos’ Aleksandr Gorbunov, pending the arrival of the next ISS crew.
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