For many people, being stuck in an enclosed space for an extended period might sound like the worst kind of nightmare. But for astronauts, this is part of their job. Unfortunately, it seems like these specific astronauts are having an even tougher time than usual.

Two astronauts have been stranded in space for over 60 days, and it appears they might have to keep orbiting the Earth until early 2025. Their Boeing spacecraft is currently unable to bring them back home.

NASA has announced that Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the two astronauts on board the spacecraft, may need to be rescued from the International Space Station by a spacecraft from Boeing’s rival company, Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were aboard the Boeing Starline spacecraft to the ISS. Their maiden voyage in June has not gone as planned. They experienced helium leaks and thruster failures, preventing their return to Earth.

The two astronauts were initially supposed to stay at the ISS for just one week. Now, it looks like they might be there for quite a while longer, possibly until early next year.

NASA says that the astronauts will need to return with the SpaceX Dragon Crew-9 mission. However, that mission isn’t set to launch until September this year, and wouldn’t return until February next year.

The plan for their rescue is not yet confirmed. Many parties are involved in coordinating the rescue, and having a Boeing crew return to Earth aboard a SpaceX vehicle could be quite embarrassing for Boeing.

While they wait for their rescue, Butch and Suni are at the ISS, assisting other astronauts with their tasks.

Their rescue needs to happen soon, as the ISS has limited resources and supplies, which might be strained due to the extended stay of the astronauts.

We are sending our best wishes to these astronauts as they await their rescue. Share this with others so they can also rally behind these astronauts and hope for their safe return to Earth.