Because of faults with Boeing's Starliner, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore had to wait months for a ride back to Earth on a different spacecraft.
After spending an unexpected nine months in space due to a series of delays and technical issues, NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Jessica Meir, and Andrew Morgan finally returned to Earth on April 17, 2020. Their extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS) was initially planned for six months but was prolonged by the need for additional time to repair a critical power system component, the Battery Charge/Discharge Unit (BCDU), which failed shortly after their arrival. This repair required multiple spacewalks, including the first all-female spacewalk by Koch and Meir. Their mission also included a range of scientific experiments, maintenance tasks, and the arrival of a new crew, which further delayed their return. Their extended mission provided valuable data on the effects of long-duration spaceflight on the human body, contributing to NASA's preparations for future deep space explorations.
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