NASA astronauts stuck on-board the ISS after SpaceX rocket explosion raises fears the duo could be stranded in space for years

A fiery explosion of a Space X rocket this week could spell even more misery for the two NASA astronauts stranded in space. The unmanned Falcon 9 rocket failed to land successfully after launching satellites into space , bursting into flames before toppling over on its side. This is bad news for the two astronauts that Boeing's faulty Starliner left stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for almost three months. Their only hope is to return to Earth on SpaceX 's Dragon capsule, which will take off using the Falcon 9 rockets and is supposed to get them home by February 2025. But the latest setback threatens to push that date back even further.