NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally set to come back to Earth after an unexpected nine-month confinement on the International Space Station (ISS). In readiness for their long-awaited homecoming, a SpaceX rocket with a new crew docked successfully at the ISS on Sunday.
Williams and Wilmore had initially traveled to the ISS aboard Boeing’s first astronaut flight, expecting to stay for just eight days. However, persistent technical issues with their experimental Boeing Starliner spacecraft forced them to remain in orbit much longer than planned.
The Crew-10 mission, which delivered NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russia’s Kirill Peskov, was welcomed warmly by the stranded duo. The new arrivals will take over station duties while Williams and Wilmore prepare to depart in the coming days aboard a SpaceX capsule.
NASA officials have confirmed that their return depends on favorable weather conditions, with the splashdown expected off the coast of Florida. The safe return of Williams and Wilmore will mark the conclusion of an unexpectedly extended mission, highlighting the ongoing challenges of spaceflight technology and reliability.
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