The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced on Saturday that Elon Musk’s SpaceX will be responsible for bringing back the two astronauts who are currently stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) due to issues with the Boeing spacecraft that transported them there.
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were initially scheduled to return to Earth in June after an eight-day mission, will now be catching a ride back in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule in early 2025.
Despite arriving at the ISS as visitors, they will transition into full-time crew members and will spend an additional five or six months in space carrying out day-to-day tasks such as conducting spacewalks and participating in scientific experiments.
While adequate food supplies eliminate the need for anyone to diet on the ISS, NASA cautioned that the lack of unlimited resources could pose challenges.
