NASA’s two stranded astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are finally set to return home after nine months aboard the International Space Station. SpaceX launched their replacements Friday night, setting the stage for their long-awaited journey back to Earth.
Wilmore and Williams must wait for the relief crew to arrive before departing. Their return is expected next week, with a splashdown off Florida’s coast, weather permitting. NASA wants a brief overlap between the crews to ensure a smooth transition.
The duo, originally scheduled for a short stay, became stuck due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions. NASA ultimately deemed Starliner unsafe for return and reassigned the astronauts to a SpaceX flight, which faced its own delays due to battery repairs.
Their extended mission took a political turn when former U.S. President Donald Trump and SpaceX’s Elon Musk blamed the previous administration for the delay. Meanwhile, Wilmore and Williams stayed busy maintaining the station, fixing a toilet, watering plants, conducting experiments, and even completing a spacewalk.
The relief crew includes NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, both military pilots, alongside Japan’s Takuya Onishi and Russia’s Kirill Peskov, both former airline pilots. They will stay for a six-month mission, the typical ISS rotation.
A last-minute hydraulics issue had delayed Wednesday’s launch attempt, but SpaceX resolved the problem, allowing Friday’s successful liftoff from Kennedy Space Center.
Despite their unexpected extended stay, Wilmore and Williams remain grateful for the support they’ve received. Wilmore looks forward to returning to church duties, while Williams is eager to reunite with her Labrador retrievers.
Source: Swifteradio.com
