Astronauts Stuck in Space: Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore’s 2025 Ordeal

Updated on March 13, 2025 | By Jameswebb Discovery Editorial Team 

NASA astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore are stuck in space, marooned aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024. What began as an 8-day test of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has ballooned into a 280-day odyssey, with their return now delayed into late March or April 2025. A SpaceX rescue mission teeters on the edge of launch, while the world watches. Here’s the deep dive into their plight, the tech failures, and what’s next.

The Starliner Debacle: How It All Went Wrong

On June 5, 2024, Williams, 58, and Wilmore, 61, launched from Cape Canaveral atop an Atlas V rocket, piloting Starliner’s first crewed test flight. Suni, a former Navy helicopter pilot with two prior ISS stints, and Butch, a shuttle veteran commanding his third space mission, aimed to certify Boeing’s capsule for NASA’s rotation. They docked at the ISS on June 6—but trouble brewed.

Starliner’s propulsion system faltered: five of its 28 reaction control thrusters failed during approach, crippled by overheating and degraded seals. Helium leaks in the service module compounded the issue, traced to faulty valves. By July, NASA and Boeing debated fixes, but ground tests revealed thruster pulses couldn’t sustain a safe reentry. On August 24, NASA pulled the plug—Starliner returned uncrewed on September 6, 2024, landing in New Mexico, leaving Williams and Wilmore stranded.

Life at 250 Miles Up: 280 Days and Counting

Integrated into Expedition 71/72, the duo has logged over 900 hours of science—studying microgravity’s effects on plants, fluids, and their own bodies. Williams, a fitness buff, runs on the ISS treadmill (celebrating a rare apple from a November cargo drop), while Wilmore’s led spacewalks, including a December repair of a solar array. In a March 11, 2025, press call, Suni said, “We’re thriving up here—work’s just a little topsy-turvy.” Butch added, “The view’s worth it.”

But the toll mounts. Nine months in orbit risks 1-2% monthly bone density loss and radiation doses 100 times Earth’s norm. NASA says they’re healthy, with supplies stocked via a February Progress resupply, but the psychological strain of uncertainty lingers.

SpaceX’s Rescue: A Hydraulic Hiccup

Enter SpaceX. The Crew-10 mission, aboard a Dragon capsule, will ferry Williams, Wilmore, and Crew-9’s Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov home—after delivering Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi, and Kirill Peskov to the ISS. Launch was set for March 12, 2025, from Pad 39A, but a hydraulic failure in the Falcon 9’s launch tower clamp aborted it at T-2 hours. NASA’s March 13 update targets March 15 or 16, pending repairs and a clear weather window (Gulf storms loom).

Dragon’s reliability—nine crewed missions since 2020—contrasts Boeing’s woes. Once launched, Crew-10 will dock within 24 hours, with a 5-day handover before the quartet departs, splashing down off Florida by April 2 at the latest.

Timeline: Key Moments

• June 5, 2024: Starliner launches with Williams and Wilmore.

• June 6: Thruster failures detected post-docking.

• August 24: NASA opts for uncrewed Starliner return.

• September 6: Starliner lands, crew stays.

• March 12, 2025: Crew-10 scrubbed due to hydraulics.

• March 15-16: Next launch window.

Why March 2025 Is Pivotal

The "astronauts stuck in space" crisis spotlights a space race shift. Boeing’s $4.2 billion Starliner program, plagued by years of delays, faces scrutiny—its next crewed shot might not come until 2026. SpaceX, with a $2.6 billion contract, cements its edge, fueled by reusable rockets and rapid turnarounds. X posts speculate political delays tied to NASA’s Boeing loyalty, but officials pin it on safety-first engineering.

For Williams and Wilmore, late March 2025 promises closure. Their resilience—nearing 300 days aloft—mirrors NASA’s Apollo-era grit. Stay tuned: we’ll update as Crew-10 lifts off and these astronauts touch down.