The two astronauts went into space for eight days. They could be stuck until 2025.

But things didn't go right.

In fact, Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams are still there, swimming high on Earth almost two months later.

The two who are stuck indefinitely now face the unexpected prospect of completely losing their wine and even spending Christmas and New Year's in space.

Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, flew a Boeing Starliner spaceship to the station. It was the first flight of this type of people on board, and it was a test designed to see how the new spacecraft functions before it is used more regularly.

Problems, however, surfaced when it approached. These included leaks into its driving system and closing some of its drivers, reports the BBC.

So as they arrived at the safe space station, it would take an alternative means of transportation to go home if Starliner is not considered safe to return to land.

At a press conference Wednesday, NASA officials said no decisive decision had been made when it comes to future steps.

Our main “Option is to turn Butch and Son into Starliner,” said Steve Stitch, NASA Commercial Crew Programme manager. “Anyway, we've made the necessary planning to make sure we have other open options. ”

A possible option under consideration, they said, is uniting two astronauts on a mission that is scheduled to begin in September and their return to the ground with that mission in February 2025.

That flight to space station will be made by a SpaceX ship Crew Dragon. The initial plan was for four crew members to be on board, but two of the countries could be left empty if necessary.

This plan would imply that astronauts would spend more than eight months instead of eight days aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

If Crew Dragon was used, the Starliner would return to Earth without a crew, under computer control.

NASA officials said it may take a week or more to make a final decision.

Ken Bowersox, NASA Space Operations Director, told reporters that the chances of a return without the crew of Starliner “have grown slightly on the basis of where things have been during the last two weeks or two”.

This is why we are looking closer at that option to make sure we can handle it,” he said.

Using a SpaceX ship to convert astronauts would be a blow to Boeing, who has been trying for years to compete with the company and Crew Her most experienced dragon.

Early this week, NASA used a SpaceX missile to provide more food and supplies to the ISS, including additional clothes for the two astronauts. /BBC