NASA and SpaceX have finalized plans for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams to return from the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in March 2025, after their Boeing Starliner mission was grounded by persistent technical failures. Their return comes as Boeing engineers continue ground tests in New Mexico to fix helium leaks and thruster issues on the Starliner vehicle.
The two reached the ISS in June 2024 aboard Starliner, but multiple helium leaks and thruster malfunctions rendered the spacecraft unsafe for a crewed return. NASA ordered the capsule to return uncrewed, while Wilmore and Williams stayed aboard the ISS. Boeing and NASA have run continuous diagnostics and testing at White Sands, New Mexico, to resolve the faults.
NASA delayed the launch of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which was initially scheduled for August 18. The mission launched with just two astronauts aboard, leaving two seats open for Wilmore and Williams to come home via Dragon.
The SpaceX Crew-9 flight carried NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov to the ISS in late September 2024 and splashed back down on March 18, 2025, with Hague plus Wilmore and Williams on board.
The switch to Dragon ensured the astronauts’ safe return despite Starliner’s delays. Boeing’s spacecraft remains under study, with more testing ahead before any future crewed flight can happen.