On Wednesday, June 5, 2024, astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore boarded the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The original mission for the spacecraft was to have an eight-day stay at the International Space Station (ISS) to test whether the spacecraft was safe for people to fly in. Still, Williams and Wilmore remained in space for nine months before returning to Earth on March 18, 2025. While most people who heard of this news thought that the astronauts were “stranded” in space, the reality of the situation was far less terrifying a prospect.

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Boeing’s concept of their Starliner spacecraft began in 2014, as it was announced on September 16 of that year that they signed a $4.2 billion contract with NASA to send astronauts to and from the ISS with a private industry. NASA also gave Elon Musk’s SpaceX a $2.6 billion contract to achieve this goal. Former NASA administrator Charlie Bolden claimed, “Turning over low-Earth orbit transportation to private industry will also allow NASA to focus on an even more ambitious mission — sending humans to Mars.” 

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Boeing has had a significant history of accidents; technical issues on its planes caused its deadliest incidents. In March 2019, Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 (which used a Boeing 737-MAX 8 aircraft) flew from Bole International Airport. It crashed in the town of Bishoftu, Ethiopia, mere minutes after takeoff, killing all eight of the crew members on board and all 149 passengers. In October of 2018, Lion Air flight 610 (also a Boeing 737-MAX 8 aircraft) crashed into the Java Sea 13 minutes after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of all 189 passengers. Both of these crashes were likely caused by Boeing’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). 

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In May of 2018, NASA announced its first concerns about the Boeing Starliner, and a report by the U.S. The Government Accountability Office stated that they had problems with the Starliner’s parachute system, causing its certification to be delayed until 2020. In June of the same year, Boeing reported that the Starliner experienced a propellant leak when testing its abort system. On May 2, the Boeing Starliner had its second orbital flight test without a crew on board. NASA reported that the Starliner experienced issues with its sensors, software, docking components, and most notably, its thrusters.

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The day after the Starliners' takeoff, NASA experienced a significant setback. When approaching the ISS, Williams and Wilmore lost control over four of their thrusters, which caused them to lose their six degrees of freedom (6DOF) altitude control. The six degrees of freedom are the six different movements that can be made in space: forward/backward, up/down, left/right, yaw (vertical axis rotation), pitch (ability to rotate from side to side), and roll (ability for wings to tilt left and right). Additionally, the spacecraft experienced helium leaks. Needless to say, this made the astronauts’ situation incredibly dire. Williams and Wilmore were docked at the ISS after NASA Mission Control attempted to reset all of the thrusters, but only two came back on, and another one began to fail. A second reset allowed Williams and Wilmore to dock at the ISS safely. Williams and Wilmore started doubting that the Starliner could safely return to Earth with them inside. On September 7, 2024, Williams and Wilmore stayed inside the ISS, and the Starliner landed safely at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

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During their stay inside the ISS, Williams and Wilmore remained productive. They contributed to research and ongoing missions, including techniques to grow crops in space and plants and their ability to absorb water in low-gravity conditions in the ISS. They also became involved in the BioNutrients project, which explores how certain helpful bacteria can help generate fresh nutrients for astronauts.

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On March 18, 2025, Williams and Wilmore returned safely to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule, along with astronauts Aleksandr Gorbunov and Nick Hague. NASA and SpaceX had arranged for their return, as their Crew-9 Dragon capsule had a track record of highly successful missions. Doctors evaluated Williams and Wilmore and found them in good health. 

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Williams and Wilmore have noted that despite their experience, they are still optimistic about the future potential of Boeing’s Starliner. This incident highlights the importance of safety measures for spacecraft.