NASA Astronauts
WASHINGTON: Two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months, are finally set to return to Earth on Tuesday evening.
They will be accompanied by American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who will also return aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule.
The two astronauts became stranded on the ISS after the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which they were testing on its first crewed mission, experienced propulsion issues and was deemed unsafe for their return journey.
Originally, their mission was planned as a short roundtrip, but the malfunction extended their stay to an unexpected nine months – significantly longer than the typical six-month rotation for astronauts aboard the ISS.
NASA announced that the astronauts’ return has been rescheduled to Tuesday at approximately 5:57 PM, with an ocean splashdown expected off the coast of Florida. The decision to move the return date earlier was made to avoid unfavorable weather conditions expected later in the week while also allowing the crew to complete handover duties.
NASA confirmed that preparations for the journey will begin on Monday evening with the hatch closure process. The entire return mission will be broadcast live, allowing space enthusiasts to witness the astronauts’ long-awaited return.
For Wilmore and Williams, this marks the end of a challenging and unexpected ordeal. Due to the extended stay, the astronauts had to receive additional supplies, including clothing and personal care items, as they had not packed for such a long mission.
Their prolonged time in space has drawn attention and sympathy from around the world, as they were separated from their families for far longer than anticipated.
While their nine-month stay is longer than usual, it falls short of the U.S. record of 371 days set by NASA astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023, and the world record of 437 continuous days spent on the Russian Mir space station by cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov.
The successful return of the astronauts will bring relief to both the crew and NASA, as the space agency continues to address the technical failures of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and ensure the safety of future missions.
