What was supposed to be an eight-day mission has turned into a nine-month space odyssey for NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. The duo, who arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule, now won’t return to Earth until at least late March 2024. 🚀
Why the Delay?
Their ride home—the Boeing Starliner—was deemed unsafe for re-entry due to technical issues, forcing NASA to extend their stay. Initially scheduled to leave in February, their return now hinges on the arrival of the Crew-10 mission, set to launch in late March. Talk about a plot twist! 🛰️
Team Handover in Zero-G
Williams and Wilmore will overlap with new arrivals, including NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who joined the ISS in September. NASA emphasized the extended stay allows for a ‘handover period’ to share lessons learned and ensure a smooth transition for ongoing research. 🧪🔬
What’s Next?
The Crew-10 mission, delayed from February, will use a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. While NASA hasn’t set an exact return date, one thing’s clear: these astronauts are rewriting the playbook for long-term space missions. 🌠
