Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are stuck in space. The two test pilots blasted off from Earth in June. They planned to complete their mission in eight days. Then their return flight was delayed by eight months. Now their space stay will last two months more. 

NASA announced the latest delay on Tuesday. It turns out the astronauts won’t make it back to Earth until March or even April.

After the pilots arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6, NASA officials decided to send their ride back to Earth without them. Their Starliner capsule had mechanical problems.

Captain Wilmore and Captain Williams won’t return to Earth until new astronauts arrive at the ISS. NASA’s next crew of four was supposed to launch in February. But SpaceX needs more time to prepare the new capsule for liftoff. Officials delayed the replacement crew’s launch by more than a month. 

Most space station missions last six months. A few reach a full year. Will Captains Wilmore and Williams make it back before a year goes by?

Here’s the good news. The ISS is loaded with plenty of supplies for the astronauts to survive. They have food, water, clothes, and oxygen. A resupply craft even delivered holiday treats.

“Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the Lord. “Do I not fill heaven and Earth?” declares the Lord. — Jeremiah 23:24