Two American astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams, will return to Earth tomorrow evening after spending more than nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). NASA confirmed their journey back will take place aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon, which arrived at the ISS yesterday.
Delayed Return Due to Boeing Starliner Issues
Wilmore and Williams originally planned for a shorter mission. However, their return was delayed after propulsion issues with the Boeing Starliner, the spacecraft they were testing on its first crewed flight. NASA deemed it unsafe for reentry, forcing them to extend their stay.
In a statement, NASA announced that the astronauts’ landing off the coast of Florida is now set for 5:57 p.m. local time. The initial plan was for a return no later than the day after tomorrow.
NASA Adjusts Timeline Due to Weather
“The updated return target allows the crew to complete handover tasks while ensuring flexibility due to expected adverse weather later this week,” NASA stated.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov will also return aboard the SpaceX capsule. The journey will be broadcast live, starting this evening.
For Wilmore and Williams, this marks the end of a mission that was supposed to last weeks but instead stretched to nine months. While longer than the standard six-month ISS rotation, their stay was still far from the record. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio set the American spaceflight record with 371 days on the ISS in 2023. The world record remains with Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov, who spent 437 consecutive days on the Mir space station.
Political Controversy Surrounds Astronauts’ Extended Stay
Former U.S. President Donald Trump and his advisor, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, called for a faster return of Crew-10. They alleged, without evidence, that President Joe Biden delayed Wilmore and Williams’ return for political reasons.
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