NASA reports that a decision about the early return of two astronauts who are now stationed on the International Space Station against a February return date is becoming closer.

By next week, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams should know if they should prepare to return home or spend a few more months in zero gravity in space.

The two have been floating in zero gravity since their June landing at the International Space Station (ISS), where their planned stay was expected to be around one week.

But they've been here for more than two months already. They had helium leaks and thruster problems on their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. NASA has been trying to figure out if it's safe for them to fly Starliner home.

In the event that Starliner is unable to complete the trip, NASA will use a SpaceX capsule to bring the men home. But it would mean they would have to wait until February, which is eight months after their release.

NASA says it's not in a rush to make a decision and that they are aware of past incidents involving the agency's safety culture that resulted in disasters, including the astronauts' deaths on the Columbia and Challenger spacecraft.

According to Russ DeLoach, head of NASA's Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, if you look at Challenger and Columbia, you can find instances where individuals had the necessary information or a convincing argument to make, but the circumstances just made it impossible.

NASA reports that even though the mission is much longer than anyone anticipated, Williams and Wilmore are content to have more time in space, regardless of the choice that is made.