Why NASA astronauts are going to be stuck in space until 2025 after eight day mission went wrong

An eight day mission to space has turned in to a bit of a nightmare for two NASA astronauts after it was revealed they could end up being stuck in the void for months on end.

And a return to Earth might not be on the cards until 2025, according to the American space agency following a press conference on Wednesday (14 August).

The mission, to the International Space Station (ISS), has been plagued by delays with a decision on when the two astronauts could be brought back no closer to being taken.

Mission gone wrong

The Boeing Starliner mission was meant to be just eight days long, with astronauts Suni Williams and Barry 'Butch' Wilmore spending just over a week on the ISS as part of a short-term mission in to space.

But things quickly turned sour after the 5 June departure, with NASA revealing that they would not be returning home on their expected departure time and date due to safety concerns.

Williams and Wilmore are 'doing great', according to NASA, with the two said to have been prepared for the risks that came with the mission.

The launch of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft was a success (Paul Hennessy/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Technical issues

The Boeing Starliner spacecraft malfunctioned on its way to the ISS. When approaching the space station, five of the thrusters on the craft completely cut out.

To make matters worse, there was a leak of helium gas from the Starliner vessel, which is vital to pushing fuel in to the propulsion system.

The Starliner spacecraft is now being assessed. And that takes time, given how critical it is nothing goes wrong on a potential return mission.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are currently stranded on the ISS (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Difficulty returning home

In a press conference on Wednesday, NASA said that Williams and Wilmore could make it back to Earth via another spacecraft.

The only issue with this one is time, with that being via a SpaceX craft; with one leaving in autumn and another in early 2025.

But if the SpaceX option is the one taken due to Starliner being determined to be unsafe, something would have to be done about the space suits being worn by the two astronauts, with NASA saying the ones they wore to get in to space are not suitable for a SpaceX journey home.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, Steve Stich, said: "We have been working with SpaceX to ensure they are ready to respond with Crew-9 as a contingency.

"We have not formally committed to this path, but we wanted to ensure we had all that flexibility in place.

"Our prime option is to return Butch and Suni on Starliner. However, we have done the requisite planning to make sure we have other options open. I think Butch and Suni are ready to do whatever we need them to do."

CGI of the International Space Station, where the two astronauts are stranded (Getty Stock Images)

Making a decision

NASA said it needs at least one more week to figure out how long Williams and Wilmore might be stuck on the ISS.

The biggest concern is that Starliner becomes a burning fireball upon re-entry due to technical issues on the craft.

"That's why we're looking so closely at the thruster jets and even thinking about how the larger thrusters work," NASA said.

February 2025 is the most likely return date as things stand from a probability and safety point of view, hitching a ride home on Elon Musk's SpaceX Dragon ship which is setting off to the ISS in September.