Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the two astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS), will have to wait even longer, NASA has announced.
The two astronauts from Boeing’s Starliner mission were originally scheduled to return to Earth this February, but it now appears their return date will be delayed, according to the BBC.
The Starliner had launched last June for a one-week mission. However, they were forced to remain on the ISS because their vehicle was deemed unsafe and returned to Earth without the astronauts.
Due to the delay in launching a new capsule to the ISS, the two astronauts will not return before the end of March or possibly April.
The reason for the delay lies in the preparation of a specialized capsule by SpaceX, which will not be ready until late March at the earliest.
NASA stated that the delay poses no danger to the astronauts, as the ISS is stocked with sufficient food, water, and oxygen. It also assured that “resupply spacecraft have delivered special items for the crew to celebrate the holidays on the orbital platform.”
A new crew must be launched before Wilmore and Williams can return. The next mission has been delayed by more than a month, according to the space agency.
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