After Boeing Starliner Thruster Failure, NASA Decides to Leave Two Astronauts in Orbit Until 2025,

NASA announced Saturday that the decision had been made for two astronauts who got to the station on the Boeing Starliner, to return to Earth on SpaceX's Crew Dragon in January. This leaves them in orbit for over 5 months that had not initially been planned.

On the way to the Station, the Starliner's steering thrusters failed repeatedly. Due to the high risk of thruster failure on the Boeing Starliner, NASA cannot risk putting astronauts in it for the return trip to earth, NASA said.

The Spacex Crew Dragon spacecraft will be used to retrieve Boeing Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station and ferry them safely back to Earth.

The decision is a huge victory for Elon Musk and SpaceX. Boeing was paid $4.2 billion and has failed on two different test flights to achieve mission objectives. SpaceX was paid $2.6 billion for Dragon Crew and reached space in 2020 and has delivered numerous missions with cargo and 49 astronauts to the Space Station.

The Spacex Crew Dragon spacecraft will be used to retrieve Boeing Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station and ferry them safely back to Earth.

"How about that. The company owned by the man the government hates is enlisted to rescue astronauts from a 4.2 billion failure. It's our tax dollars stolen by Boeing and our government officials enriching themselves from the lobbyists and pseudo multi million dollar board seats they'll get on leaving office," Tweeted Chad Crane.