Stranded Astronauts: Extended Stay on ISS for Wilmore and Williams

Navy test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS), face an extended mission after NASA decided they would return to Earth with SpaceX in February. Originally slated for an eight-day mission, the astronauts now expect to be in space for over eight months.

Navy test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will extend their stay on the International Space Station (ISS) due to delays in their planned return mission. Both astronauts have previous long-duration spaceflight experience.

NASA announced Saturday that instead of returning in Boeing's troubled capsule, Wilmore and Williams will come back with SpaceX in late February, significantly extending their mission from the original eight days to more than eight months.

Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, both have illustrious careers, with Wilmore being a former Navy test pilot and astronaut since 2000, while Williams, chosen by NASA in 1998, was the first woman to serve as a test pilot for a new spacecraft. Their extended stay at the ISS underscores the unpredictable nature of space missions.

(With inputs from agencies.)