In charts: What Sunita Williams’ saga shows about Nasa’s private partnership

In all, Williams, along with Butch Wilmore, spent 286 days consecutively at the International Space Station (ISS), the sixth-longest single stay by Nasa astronauts. Through their stay, they conducted “vital science, technology demonstrations, and maintenance aboard the ISS,” Nasa said.

Since 1998, the ISS has served as a unique orbiting laboratory for long-term studies in microgravity, advancing our understanding of biology, physics, astronomy, and human health in space—knowledge critical for future deep-space missions. It has hosted 273 visitors from 20 countries, predominantly the US, reflecting global cooperation and interest.

While they were at the ISS, Sunita Williams and her crewmates logged over 900 hours of research, conducting more than 150 unique experiments, such as studying the effects of microgravity on biological systems and using engineered microbes to produce essential nutrients, among others. Meanwhile, on Earth, the extended stay triggered debates about Nasa, its use of private contractors and the future of the space sector in general. The US also saw Donald Trump coming back into power, with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk as a key ally, which intensified the debates.

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Boeing’s struggles

The technical issues that turned an eight-day mission into a nine-month journey were due to Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was a part of Nasa’s Commercial Crew Program, along with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. The US space agency started the program for private businesses to build spacecraft to take astronauts to the ISS. It replaced Russia’s Soyuz, which was retired in 2011. Boeing got $4.2 billion for the project, SpaceX $2.6 billion.

While SpaceX’s Crew Dragon was a success by many measures, Boeing struggled. Its launch was postponed several times, and technical problems persisted during the mission. In September, Nasa decided to use the SpaceX Crew Dragon to bring the astronauts back. Boeing has lost about $1.6 billion on the program due to these issues, beyond its original $4.2 billion Nasa contract. Its reputational loss has been bigger. These setbacks coincide with difficulties in Boeing’s aviation division, including fatal crashes of its 737 MAX aircraft and production quality issues.

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Efficiency drive
In contrast, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, working on a smaller budget, has had a good run. It conducted 14 flights (including 10 operational flights) and 12 successful dockings on ISS. The success reflects the progress SpaceX has achieved in other areas. In October, for example, SpaceX successfully executed a mid-air catch of the Super Heavy Booster using the launch tower’s mechanical arms.

In his first public speech after getting elected as the US President, Trump mentioned this as an achievement of Musk, one of his best-known and wealthiest political backers. When the astronauts were on the ISS, Trump and Musk amplified pressure on Nasa to bring them back sooner. They have also pushed the agency, with an annual budget of about $25 billion, to cut costs. By February 2025, Nasa had laid off about 10% of its workforce, around 1,750 employees, through buyouts and terminations of probationary staff.

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Larger Ambitions
Nasa is unlikely to face the same heat as other government departments under Trump. In 2023, Pew Research said that 69% of Americans—across groups, including Republicans—felt it was important for the US to be a leader in space exploration. (Similarly, as per a 2022 survey, most Americans saw Nasa favourably.) They also see a role for private players.

More Americans think private companies are doing a good job in contributing to space exploration and opening up space travel than those who think they don’t. In its press statement after the return of astronauts, Nasa said, “The goal of Nasa’s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the space station and low Earth orbit. The program provides additional research time…including helping Nasa prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.” Finally, Nasa’s strategy of engaging private players has paid off, even if Boeing Starlink’s future is under question.

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