NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore were aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for approximately nine months, from June 5, 2024, to March 18, 2025. Their mission was initially intended to last only eight days; however, technical issues with their return spacecraft, Boeing’s Starliner, led to multiple delays.
These problems necessitated their extended stay in space until a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule was available to bring them home.