Return of astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore expected on March 19th or 20th
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have spent over 270 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and are preparing for their return flight. They plan to return to Earth on March 19th or 20th. Their initially planned eight-day mission was extended due to reported technical
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have spent over 270 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and are preparing for their return flight. They plan to return to Earth on March 19th or 20th. Their initially planned eight-day mission was extended due to reported technical
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have spent over 270 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and are preparing for their return flight. They plan to return to Earth on March 19th or 20th. Their initially planned eight-day mission was extended due to reported technical
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have spent over 270 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and are preparing for their return flight. They plan to return to Earth on March 19th or 20th.
Their initially planned eight-day mission was extended due to reported technical problems with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which they used to travel to the ISS.
Expressing the anxiety and uncertainty surrounding their return date, Williams said in a press conference from the ISS last Thursday, "The hardest part is having the folks on the ground not know exactly when we're coming back. It's been a rollercoaster for them – probably more so than for us."
Williams and Wilmore launched on the Boeing Starliner in June 2024. The spacecraft experienced several technical issues with the propulsion system en route to the ISS. NASA declared the Starliner too risky for astronaut return, and the spacecraft returned to Earth in September, leaving the crew stranded on the ISS.
The astronauts are now scheduled to return home on the Crew-9 return flight of Elon Musk's SpaceX. NASA astronaut Sunita Williams has been trending Google for the past few days.