The short answer is yes. But the long answer is way more complicated than just a space-themed Uber ride.
If you’ve been following the news over the last year, you probably saw the headlines about Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. They went up to the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2024 for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission. They ended up staying for months. It’s the kind of scenario that sounds like a Hollywood script, but for NASA, it was a high-stakes logistical nightmare.
When people ask "did SpaceX rescue the astronauts," they are usually looking for a "yes" or "no." In reality, SpaceX provided the lifeboat because Boeing’s ship, the Starliner, had some pretty sketchy thruster issues and helium leaks that made NASA engineers lose sleep. It wasn't a "rescue" in the sense of a mid-air explosion or a frantic SOS, but it was absolutely a rescue in terms of mission architecture. SpaceX's Crew Dragon became the only safe way to get them home.
The messy reality of the Starliner failure
NASA really wanted Boeing to succeed. Competition is good for prices, and having two different American companies capable of reaching the ISS is the ultimate safety net. But the Starliner’s "Crew Flight Test" (CFT) was a mess from the jump.
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As the capsule approached the ISS, five of its 28 reaction control system thrusters failed. On top of that, there were multiple helium leaks in the propulsion system. Imagine driving a brand-new car and having the steering go stiff while the gas tank develops a slow drip. You might make it to your destination, but you aren't exactly thrilled about the drive back.
NASA spent weeks—literally months—running ground tests at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. They were trying to figure out why the Teflon seals were bulging and blocking propellant flow. They even did "hot-fire" tests while the ship was docked to the station.
Eventually, the data just didn't look good enough.
Ken Bowersox and the rest of the NASA leadership had to make a brutal call: send the Starliner back empty. That left Butch and Suni stuck on the station without a ride. This is where the SpaceX "rescue" officially began. To make room for the Boeing crew on a future flight, NASA had to kick two other astronauts off the upcoming Crew-9 mission. Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov launched in September 2024 with two empty seats specifically reserved for the stranded pair.
Why it took so long to get them back
Space isn't like an airport. You can't just "send a car."
Orbital mechanics are a beast. The ISS is moving at 17,500 miles per hour. Every launch has to be perfectly timed with the station's position and the availability of docking ports. Since the Starliner was taking up a port, it had to be undocked and moved before SpaceX could even arrive.
There was also the suit problem. This is a detail people often miss.
SpaceX suits and Boeing suits are not interchangeable. You can't just plug a Boeing umbilical into a SpaceX seat. If there had been a dire emergency on the ISS while Butch and Suni were waiting for their SpaceX ride, they actually would have had to pile into the SpaceX Crew-8 capsule (which was already docked) and sit on the floor without being plugged into the ship's life support systems. It was a "break glass in case of fire" plan that luckily never had to happen.
The SpaceX Crew-9 pivot
The actual mechanism of the rescue was the Crew-9 mission. Originally, this was supposed to be a standard four-person rotation. Instead, NASA stripped it down. They sent it up with only two people.
When the Crew-9 Dragon docked, Butch and Suni officially became part of that expedition. They traded their Boeing patches for a long-duration stay. They didn't just sit around waiting, though. They’ve been integrated into the station’s crew, performing science experiments and maintenance just like everyone else.
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But make no mistake: SpaceX saved Boeing's pride—and NASA's schedule.
Without the Crew Dragon's flexibility, NASA would have been forced to look at the Russian Soyuz as a backup. Given the current geopolitical climate, that would have been a massive headache. SpaceX basically functioned as the reliable backup that the commercial crew program was designed to have, even if NASA hoped they'd never need it this way.
What this means for the future of Boeing and SpaceX
This whole saga has fundamentally shifted how we look at private spaceflight. For years, Boeing was the "safe" legacy player and SpaceX was the "disruptive" newcomer. Now? The roles are totally flipped.
SpaceX has turned crewed launches into a routine, almost boring event. That’s exactly what you want in aerospace. You want boring. You want predictable. Boeing, meanwhile, is facing billions in cost overruns and a reputation that needs a lot of work.
People ask if SpaceX rescued the astronauts because it feels like a win for Elon Musk and a loss for the "old guard." It kind of is. But for the astronauts, it’s just about getting home in one piece. They are scheduled to return in early 2025. By the time they splash down in the ocean, they will have spent eight months in space for a mission that was supposed to last about a week.
Actionable insights for following the return mission
If you want to track the final phase of this "rescue" and understand the technical milestones, keep an eye on these specific markers over the next few weeks:
- Watch the Crew-9 undocking schedule: NASA usually broadcasts the departure live. This is the moment Butch and Suni finally leave the ISS after their extended stay.
- Monitor the de-orbit burn: This is the most critical part of the SpaceX return. The Dragon capsule has to hit the atmosphere at the perfect angle. Too shallow and they bounce off; too steep and they burn up.
- Check the splashdown zones: Depending on weather, SpaceX targets the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic coast of Florida. Recovery ships will be on standby to pull the "rescued" astronauts out of the water.
- Look for the post-flight debrief: Suni and Butch will likely give a press conference a few weeks after landing. Their firsthand account of the transition from a Boeing mission to a SpaceX rescue will be the definitive record of what it’s like to have your return ride cancelled while you’re 250 miles above Earth.
The mission has proven that redundancy in space is not a luxury—it's a requirement. Without a second provider, those astronauts would have been in a much more precarious position. Instead, they’re just getting a much longer view of the planet than they originally paid for.