The mission of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who spent nearly 9 months on the ISS instead of the planned 8 days due to technical problems with their malfunctioning Boeing spacecraft, is finally coming to an end. However, the return date for the Starliner crew stranded in space has changed again. NASA officials announced that they will return from the International Space Station on March 16 — three days earlier than expected.
From 8 days to 9 months
The Starliner mission was launched on June 5, 2024 on a Boeing Starliner spacecraft. But after 8 days in orbit, the way home became complicated due to a number of technical complications. The spacecraft’s engines failed, a helium leak and other malfunctions were discovered, causing the crew’s return dates to be constantly disrupted. In September, Starliner returned to Earth without a crew, leaving astronauts on the ISS. NASA has since developed an evacuation plan using the SpaceX Dragon capsule, which is already docked to the station. However, this requires the Crew-10 mission to deliver new crew members for rotation.
Schedule and logistics
The Crew-10 rescue mission of four astronauts will launch March 12. After docking on March 13, a shortened transfer period of two days instead of the usual five days will begin. This will save ISS resources and leave time for delayed undocking due to weather conditions. If all goes well, Williams and Wilmore, along with the Crew-9 crew, will return to Earth on March 16, completing the 284-day mission.
Political storm
The story resonated after claims by Elon Musk and Donald Trump that the delayed return had political motives. Musk claimed that SpaceX’s proposal to rescue the astronauts was previously rejected by the Biden administration to avoid raising Trump’s approval ratings. NASA responded that it had been working with SpaceX on backup plans since as early as July. Officials also noted that the Crew-9 and Crew-10 crews were selected for the best use of resources and budget.
Bitter experience
The astronauts’ return will depend not only on technical factors, but also on the weather in the landing zone. For Williams and Wilmore, the mission was the longest of their careers, evolving from a routine Starliner test into a challenge of survival and endurance. Their experience underscored how fragile space logistics remains, where politics, technology and human factors intertwine in the most unexpected ways.
Earlier we reported on how a NASA astronaut mocked Elon Musk for being a coward.
According to space.com
