two NASA astronauts that's Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore will now return to Earth uh in February next year on SpaceX vehicle the pair who rode on boing star liner spacecraft to the International Space Station in June were expected to be on an 8-day test mission but have been stuck for 8 months because of the problems with Starliner spacecraft the spacecraft faced problems including helium leaks and malfunction thrusters on its way to the space station the agency therefore took the rare decision of reshuffling the two astronauts to an SpaceX Mission and returning the Starliner empty NASA Chief Bill Nelson said that the decision was taken for the safety of its crew space flight is risky even at its saf safest and even at its most routine and a test flight by nature is neither safe nor routine and so the decision to keep Butch and sunny aboard the International Space Station and bring the Boeing Starliner home uncrewed is a result of a commitment to safety our core value is safety and it is our North Star