What are the names of the two NASA astronauts who were stranded on the ISS after Boeing Starliner's failed 2024 test flight?

NASA astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore found themselves on an unexpectedly extended mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) following the Boeing Starliner's Crew Flight Test (CFT) in 2024. The duo launched on June 5, 2024, as the first crew to fly on the Starliner spacecraft, a key component of NASA's Commercial Crew Program aimed at providing independent U.S. access to the orbiting laboratory. Their initial stay was intended to be a brief eight to fourteen days, a crucial test before Starliner could be certified for regular crew rotation missions.

However, during the Starliner's approach and docking with the ISS, several critical issues emerged. The spacecraft experienced multiple thruster malfunctions and helium leaks within its propulsion system, raising serious safety concerns about its ability to safely return the astronauts to Earth. These technical problems led NASA and Boeing to continuously extend the mission, allowing engineers on the ground to thoroughly investigate the anomalies and determine a safe course of action. What began as a short test flight stretched into a 93-day stay for the spacecraft docked to the ISS.

Ultimately, after extensive review and ground testing, NASA made the difficult decision that it was too risky to bring Wilmore and Williams back aboard the troubled Starliner. The Boeing capsule returned to Earth uncrewed on September 7, 2024, landing safely in New Mexico. Williams and Wilmore remained on the ISS, eventually returning to Earth in March 2025 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft as part of the Crew-9 mission, having spent approximately nine months in space. This incident was later formally classified by NASA as a "Type A mishap," its highest-level incident designation, highlighting the severity of the technical and programmatic challenges encountered during the Starliner's inaugural crewed flight.