Which company's spacecraft was used to bring the stranded Boeing Starliner astronauts home from the ISS?

When technical difficulties arose with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft during its inaugural crewed test flight to the International Space Station, it was a SpaceX capsule that ultimately brought the astronauts safely back to Earth. The Starliner, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, launched in June 2024 for what was intended to be a brief mission. However, issues with the spacecraft's propulsion system and helium leaks quickly became apparent, extending their stay aboard the orbiting laboratory as engineers on the ground worked to understand and address the problems.

After extensive review and analysis of the Starliner's performance, NASA determined it would be too risky for Wilmore and Williams to return on the troubled Boeing spacecraft. The Starliner capsule eventually made an uncrewed journey back to Earth in September 2024, landing successfully in New Mexico.

This left the two astronauts needing an alternative ride home. Demonstrating the critical redundancy built into NASA's Commercial Crew Program, the agency turned to its other commercial partner. Wilmore and Williams boarded a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, joining the Crew-9 mission, and returned to Earth in March 2025. This event underscored the importance of having multiple reliable transportation systems for ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station.