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Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will return to earth on a SpaceX<\/a> Dragon capsule in February instead of the Boeing<\/a> Starliner that they used to reach the International Space Station.<\/p>\n NASA Administrator Bill Nelson\u00a0delivered the news during a briefing on Saturday, ending months of speculation over how much longer the astronauts would remain in limbo.<\/p>\n The Starliner will instead return to earth from the ISS<\/a> without a crew, allowing NASA and Boeing to determine root causes of its malfunction so it can continue to serve as a piece of the space agency\u2019s plans to maintain access to the ISS, he added.<\/p>\n \u201cSpaceflight is risky even at its safest and even at its most routine. And a test flight by nature is neither safe or routine,\u201d Nelson said, adding that \u201cour core value is safety and it is our North Star.\u201d<\/p>\n The two astronauts have been aboard the International Space Station since June while the original plan was for the mission to last just eight days.\u00a0A\u00a0helium leak and thruster malfunctions<\/a>\u00a0on the Starliner has kept them in space for months while NASA and Boeing consider ways to being them back.<\/p>\n On Aug. 2, Boeing said it was confident that its spacecraft would be able to being back Williams and Wilmore. But on Aug., NASA revealed that discussions had evolved, saying it was more seriously considering SpaceX\u2019s Crew Dragon vehicle, which has been taking astronauts to and from the ISS for four years.<\/p>\n But that could be complicated by the fact that the spacesuits that Wilmore and Williams have are compatible with the Starliner but not with the Dragon capsule<\/a>. <\/p>\n Despite the months-long delay, NASA has said the astronauts are\u00a0not \u201cstranded\u201d<\/a> on the ISS. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nRecommended Newsletter: <\/strong>High-level insights for high-powered executives. Subscribe to the CEO Daily newsletter for free today. Subscribe now<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n