NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are undergoing an extended mission on the ISS due to spacecraft technical issues. Originally an eight-day mission, it has stretched to eight months, raising financial and physical concerns.

NASA has moved up the return timeline after swapping the spacecraft originally planned for an upcoming routine flight to the ISS.

The astronauts, who have been aboard the ISS since June 2023, were initially set to return on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, but ongoing technical issues have forced a change in plans.