The decision has left NASA astronauts Wilmore and Suni Williams trapped in the International Space Station, as NASA reconfigures upcoming crew rotation missions to the orbiting station.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 is due to launch two NASA astronauts in late September on a Crew Dragon spacecraft that will bring Wilmore and Williams home next year in February. The Starliner is expected to return to earth with no crew aboard.

NASA on Friday cut two astronauts from the next crew to make room on the return trip for the two stuck at the International Space Station.

NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian Aleksandr Gorbunov will launch in September aboard a SpaceX rocket for the orbiting laboratory. The duo will return with Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore in February.

Bumped from the SpaceX flight: NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson. NASA said they could fly on future missions.

Loading

The space agency said it took into account spaceflight experience and other factors in making the decision.

After the US Space Shuttles retired in 2011, the US relied on Russia to ferry crews to the space station until SpaceX began taking astronauts in 2020.

The two countries have continued to trade seats, even as relations between the Kremlin and Washington deteriorate.

Next month, NASA’s Don Pettit will be launching to the space station while NASA’s Tracy Dyson will be returning to Earth on Russian capsules.

NASA turned to private businesses a decade ago, wanting two competing US companies ferrying astronauts in the post-shuttle era.

The pivot to the private space industry has spurred competition between SpaceX, which operates the Crew Dragon, and Boeing, which was seeking certification for the Starliner in the June mission before it was marred by the malfunctions.

with Reuters, AP

Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here.