Stranded NASA astronauts will have to endure extended time in space.

NASA has announced that the two astronauts who were stuck in space have had their mission extended once again. This means that they will not be returning to Earth until Autumn, which is a full 10 months after they launched into orbit on the Boeing Starliner capsule. The delay was announced on Tuesday, much to the disappointment of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams who were originally only planning on being away for a week.

However, due to various delays and issues with the Starliner capsule, their mission has now been extended to 8 months. This was a result of NASA's decision to send the capsule back to Earth empty in September, after it encountered problems during its first astronaut flight to the International Space Station. As a result, Wilmore and Williams will not be able to return until the end of March or even April, as their replacements have also experienced delays in their launch.

NASA had initially planned for the next crew of four astronauts to launch in February, followed by Wilmore and Williams' return home by the end of that month. However, due to complications with the brand new SpaceX capsule, the launch has been pushed back to late March at the earliest. This has caused a ripple effect, with the next mission being bumped more than a month.

In order to keep the flights on schedule, NASA considered using a different SpaceX capsule to transport the replacement crew. However, after careful consideration, they decided that the best option was to wait for the new capsule to be ready for liftoff. This is because NASA prefers to have overlapping crews at the space station for a smoother transition.

It is worth noting that most space station missions last for six months, with a few extending to a full year. Despite the delays and challenges, NASA remains committed to ensuring the safety and success of their missions. As always, you can stay updated on all the latest news, sports, politics, and weather by downloading the 9NEWS app, available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

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