After more than nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), two U.S. astronauts will finally return to Earth on Tuesday evening, NASA has confirmed.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who had been stranded since June due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, will travel home aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. They will be joined by fellow American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The spacecraft arrived at the ISS early Sunday in preparation for their departure.
NASA announced on Sunday evening that the astronauts’ return had been moved up to approximately 5:57 p.m. ET (21:57 GMT) on Tuesday, with an ocean splashdown planned off the coast of Florida. The return was originally expected no sooner than Wednesday but was rescheduled to avoid unfavorable weather conditions later in the week.
“The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected for later in the week,” NASA said in a statement.
Wilmore and Williams were initially meant to spend only a few days on the ISS as part of the Starliner’s first crewed mission. However, propulsion problems with the spacecraft rendered it unsuitable for their return, forcing an extended stay of more than nine months—far beyond the usual six-month astronaut rotation.
Despite their unexpected delay, their mission duration remains well below the U.S. spaceflight record of 371 days, set by NASA astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023, and the world record of 437 days held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov aboard the Mir space station.
Nonetheless, their prolonged stay has attracted attention and sympathy, as they were separated from their families far longer than anticipated. NASA had to send additional clothing and personal care items, as they had not packed for an extended mission.
The return journey will be broadcast live, starting Monday evening with hatch closure preparations, marking the final step in bringing the stranded astronauts back home.
Add comment
Comments