NASA finally gives return date for stranded astronauts in new major update

After 251 days in space (and counting), a date has finally been set for the rescue mission of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore.

The space exploration organisation - which has been working closely with Elon Musk's tech firm SpaceX to bring the pair home following a botched mission - announced the major new update in a statement last week (7 Feb).

Why are Williams and Wilmore stranded in space?

The 2024 mission of test pilots and retired navy captains Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore was only supposed to last eight days.

The pair docked their Boeing Starliner onto the International Space Station (ISS) on 5 June, unaware that they'd be trapped in the ship for a further eight months following a bout of technical faults.

According to the BBC, numerous fuel leaks, helium leaks, five dead manoeuvring thrusters, and a broken propellant valve affected the spacecraft's expendable propulsion system - this would have been used to push the capsule away from the ISS and towards Earth.

Several return missions were planned and subsequently cancelled by NASA in the weeks that followed, prompting the firm to reach out to representatives at SpaceX.

In September, however, Musk's firm was forced to ground a batch of Falcon 9 rockets which were scheduled to rescue the pair after one suffered a malfunction during its Florida launch, the Independent reported.

The failure led millions of spectators to wonder whether Williams and Wilmore would ever make it home.

NASA's latest 'update'

The pair have been stranded in space since June (MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images)

Thankfully, however, just last week, the Mail reported that NASA have brought forward SpaceX's rescue mission, with the stranded astronauts now scheduled to be home around March 19.

This is two weeks earlier that the initial estimated return - early April.

By this new date, however, the pair would have remained in space for a staggering 286 days.

Citing a report from Ars Technica, NASA and SpaceX are supposedly working to resolve the issue with C213 Dragon, which was initially scheduled to launch in February, but was delayed due to what is believed to be battery problems.

According to the source, SpaceX's Endurance ship will be reused to swap out the crew and allow the two to hitch a ride back.

Ars Technica's report also alleges that political pressure has risen in the US following Donald Trump's return to office and public discussion of the situation on social media.

Trump's response to the predicament

Trump previously encouraged Musk to set a date for the rescue mission (MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images)

Donald Trump - the recently sworn-in president of the US - called on Musk last month to bring Williams and Wilmore back down to Earth - simultaneously taking a swipe at his White House predecessor, Joe Biden.

"I have just asked Elon Musk and @SpaceX to ‘go get’ the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden administration," the 78-year-old wrote on Truth Social on 28 Jan.

"They have been waiting for many months on @Space Station. Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!"

Musk subsequently accepted Trump's challenge.

"The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so. Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long," the Tesla boss previously wrote on X.