Boeing Starliner astronauts who were supposed to be in space for nine days returning to Earth after nine months on ISS

Core Points - Two U.S. astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are returning home after a nine-month stay at the International Space Station (ISS) due to issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule [1][2] - The original mission was intended to last about nine days, but was extended after thruster failures during docking raised concerns about the capsule's ability to return the astronauts safely [2] - NASA has decided to return Wilmore and Williams on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft instead of the Starliner, adjusting the astronaut rotation by removing two crew members from the upcoming Crew-9 mission [3] Summary by Sections - Mission Duration and Issues: The astronauts' stay at the ISS was significantly longer than planned due to the failure of the Boeing Starliner capsule's thrusters, which led to an empty return of the capsule after three months of docking [2] - Return Vehicle Change: NASA opted for a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for the return of the astronauts, indicating a shift in reliance from Boeing to SpaceX for crew transport [3] - Crew Rotation Adjustments: The agency made adjustments to the astronaut rotation schedule, impacting the Crew-9 mission to accommodate the return of Wilmore and Williams [3][4]