Boeing's Starliner astronauts could stay in space for another six months; here's what they'd do

(CNN) – When astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore left Earth for the International Space Station two months ago, they left their bags behind to take some key equipment. Commanding the inaugural crewed flight test of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, they set off without their own toiletries or other personal amenities, expecting to return to Earth in about a week.

However, they have already been on the space station for more than 60 days and NASA this week raised the possibility that they could remain there until early 2025 due to current problems with the Starliner capsule.

An extension of the mission is not certain, as NASA officials hope to resolve some disagreements within the space agency over the safety of Starliner. According to NASA, a decision should be made by mid-August.

But NASA has indicated that a months-long continuation could be necessary if the Starliner spacecraft is deemed unsafe and they need to resort to Plan B, which would involve the astronauts returning home aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

So what exactly would Williams and Wilmore do for another six months in space?

Both are currently visitors. They are not part of Expedition 71, which refers to the international crew of seven astronauts who serve as the official staff of the space station. However, NASA said they have integrated seamlessly with the group and taken on daily duties aboard the orbiting laboratory.

But if their stay is extended into February, as NASA has said could happen if Starliner is unable to bring them home, Williams and Wilmore would become full-time members of the expedition crew.

They would perform typical crew duties, such as conducting spacewalks outside the station, maintaining the laboratory in orbit and carrying out a strict schedule of scientific experiments.

And NASA has confirmed that Starliner astronauts are prepared to make such a change.

“We made the decision a couple of years ago, knowing that this was a test flight, to make sure that we had the appropriate resources, supplies and training for the crew, in case they needed to be on the ISS, for whatever reason, for a longer period of time,” Dana Weigel, NASA’s International Space Station Program manager, said during a briefing Wednesday.

“Butch and Suni are fully trained,” Weigel added. “They are capable and up to date with spacewalks, robotics and all the things we need them to do.”

Nothing is certain, but NASA indicated for the first time on Wednesday that it is considering sending the empty Boeing Starliner spacecraft home.

But that wouldn't leave Williams and Wilmore stuck in space indefinitely. They'd be assigned a ride home on SpaceX's Crew-9 mission.

Crew-9, a routine trip to the space station to replenish the expedition's personnel, is currently scheduled to fly with four crew members: NASA astronauts Zena Cardman, Nick Hague and Stephanie Wilson, and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos.

Under NASA’s contingency plan for Starliner, two of those astronauts would be removed from that mission, though officials did not disclose which of the four crew members those would be.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft would then fly with two empty seats to the International Space Station, lifting off at least as early as Sept. 24, according to the most recent dates shared by NASA.

Ballast, or pieces of metal that serve as dead weight, would fly alongside Crew-9's two empty seats to maintain the Crew Dragon spacecraft's center of gravity.

The two Crew-9 astronauts would then join Williams and Wilmore aboard the space station, and the four would complete the cast of Expedition 72, which will include additional Russian cosmonauts and is scheduled to begin in September after a handoff period.

As is typical for space station missions that join an expedition, the Crew-9 astronauts will remain on board for approximately five or six months, leaving Williams and Wilmore in space for another half year on top of the two months they already spent in space.

Once you're part of Crew-9, you'll fall into a structured routine, with your days planned out hour by hour.

The astronauts have already begun performing some of those everyday tasks. Recent NASA updates indicated that Williams and Wilmore have used their time so far to maintain the space station, inspect hardware, organize cargo, perform checks on Starliner and assist with science experiments and technology demonstrations.

However, Williams and Wilmore also had the opportunity to have fun in microgravity conditions. On July 26, NASA shared images of the astronauts as they passed a plastic torch around the space station and mimicked Olympic events such as the discus throw and the pommel horse. (Exercise is a key task for astronauts to avoid losing too much muscle mass and bone density while in space.)

Now, let it be known that Williams has already proven that she is an outstanding space athlete.

In 2012, during an earlier trip to the International Space Station, she became the first person to finish a triathlon in space. Williams rode a stationary bike, simulated swimming with a weight-lifting machine and ran on a treadmill while strapped into a harness to keep from flying off.

That feat came after running the Boston Marathon alongside her from the space station in 2007.

Williams and Wilmore spent 500 days in space together before embarking on the Starliner test flight. Williams even said she cried after leaving the space station following her final mission in 2012, not knowing if she would ever return.

“This flight is a dream for her,” said a NASA commentator during a live broadcast of the launch Starliner on June 5.

It is not uncommon for astronauts to unexpectedly extend their stay aboard the space station, for days, weeks or even months.

NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, for example, was scheduled to spend about six months aboard the International Space Station for his maiden voyage into Earth orbit beginning in September 2022. Instead, he spent 371 days in space after a coolant leak was discovered from his parent vehicle (a Russian Soyuz capsule) while docked with the orbiting outpost.

Rubio's yearlong stay ended with a U.S. record for most continuous days spent in orbit.

Astronauts also often extend their stay on the station for days at a time due to a variety of factors, including bad weather on Earth or other schedule adjustments.

Traveling to the space station without the suitcases they had packed for their mission may have made the extended stay of the Starliner astronauts more comfortable. NASA opted to remove the luggage from the spacecraft to make room for a much-needed pump to fix a malfunctioning toilet aboard the space station.

The two astronauts finally got a break after a Northrop Grumman cargo resupply mission arrived at the space station on Tuesday.

“We like to keep our options open, so we have some items like clothing … some food for (Williams and Wilmore), things like that,” Bill Spetch, NASA’s operations integration manager for the International Space Station Program, said during a news conference last week.

And there's no indication that food supplies will run low anytime soon. Packed along the Northrop Grumman ship's 8,000 pounds of scientific experiments and cargo was a cargo of food that included meals and produce such as pumpkins, radishes, carrots, blueberries, oranges, apples and coffee, according to Spetch.

Still, NASA must make a quick decision about whether to return Williams and Wilmore — or integrate them into the regular crew rotation — because the space station's reserves of food and other resources are not unlimited.

“While they’re up there, we have more people and more hands, and they can do a lot more work. But they’re also using more consumables, more supplies,” Ken Bowersox, NASA associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate, said Wednesday.

“At some point,” he added, “we’ll have to bring those people home and get back to a normal crew size on the ISS.”