NASA’s ‘Stranded’ Astronauts Coming Home Earlier Than Expected
NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore have been on the International Space Station since June, although they were initially expected to stay for eight days. But now, NASA may bring two astronauts home a few weeks earlier than expected.
Tuesday, The Space Administration says It is “accelerating the target launch and returning dates for the upcoming ISS rotation mission.” An earlier plan was to bring astronauts back in late March, but now the agency’s crew of 10 astronauts may be as early as March 12 launch on a daily basis. After the crew arrives at the ISS and completes the handover requirements, Williams, Wilmore, Wilmore, astronauts Nick Hague and Nick Hague and Roscosmos Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov can depart for crew 9.
The Crew-10 mission will bring NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, pilots; Japan Aerospace Exploration astronaut Takuya Onishi and the International Space Station ( Roscosmos Cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, a missionary expert at ISS.
Read more: NASA’s first interactive twitch stream shows how many astronauts like coffee
Recording space walks
But Williams set a record thanks to their extended accommodation. She had a five-hour, 26-minute space trip with Wilmore, and with it, she surpassed the record set by a woman to spend time walking on space. According to Space.comWilliams now has 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalk, surpassing former astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has 60 hours and 21 minutes.
In the recent spacewalk, both ended up working to remove a faulty radio communication unit, an astronaut who could not be deleted on two previous spacewalks.
Williams previously worked with astronaut Nick Hague on space January 16. NASA said on that spacewalk, Williams and The Hague replaced the gyroscope assembly, helping to maintain the direction of the orbital outpost. The astronauts also installed patches to cover the damaged light filter area on the X-ray telescope of the neutron star internal composition explorer, replacing the reflector equipment on an international docking adapter, and inspecting the access areas that Astronauts will be used for future Alpha and Connector tool magneto-spectrometer maintenance.
On January 16, 2025, NASA astronaut Suni Williams was seen outside the International Space Station.
Trump and Musk
The astronauts plan to return home in March. But that may not be fast enough for President Donald Trump.
“I just asked Elon Musk and Spacex to go’e’ to 2 brave astronauts,” Trump wrote. According to NPR. “Good luck to you Elon!!!”
Astronauts are far from abandoned. The delay was because NASA and Boeing engineers discovered the problem with the spacecraft that brought astronauts into space and chose to return the vehicle to Earth without a crew member.
It is not clear what Musk can do, as both have planned to fly home on capsules made by their company SpaceX, and the capsule has already docked at ISS. So technically, astronauts can go home at any time, but this will make the space station short and jeopardize the project. .
“Eventually we want to go home,” Williams in a Recent press conference. “We left our family not long ago, but we still have a lot to do here and we have to do these things before we leave.”
“Living in space is very fun”
But Williams and Willmore didn’t complain about their accommodation.
“I love everything here,” Williams says In early December. “Living in space is very fun.”
Astronauts have been busy, Williams and Wilmore assist other ISS residents in space botany research and other research, According to NASA’s ISS Blog. They have more than 60 scientific research on the ship for nearly six months. The Washington Post reported.
Here is the latest updates from the two astronauts you need to know.
Who is the astronaut?
Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, are veteran astronauts, both naval officers and former test pilots. Williams has been a NASA astronaut since 1998 and has had extensive space experience since 2000.
Williams is the former record holder of most women (seven) and most ladies’ space walk time (50 hours and 40 minutes), and in 2007 she was attended by anyone in space for the first time Marathon.
In 2009, Wilmore drove the Atlantis to the ISS mission, and in 2014, he was part of the ISS crew, which used 3D printers to make a tool – the ratchet wrench – in space, the first time was Humans have created something overseas.
What was their initial mission in space?
Wilmore served as commander, Williams, as a pilot, headed to the ISS with 15-foot-wide Boeing-made capsules called Starliner. They started on June 5 and docked with the International Space Station on June 6. NASA hopes Starlinaner will provide the organization with a new way to get crews back and forth to the International Space Station, and the fact that it is another sign that Boeing makes is another sign that NASA is starting to tilt in the private sector human space flight During this period, the New York Times Report.
Wilmore and Williams’ ISS mission could have lasted eight days, during which time they will test all aspects of Starliner and see how it works with human crews in space. But due to complications with Starliner, the two astronauts are still there.
What are the astronauts talking about?
Astronauts remained positive about their experience. exist On-site press conference Williams said in September that although their mission plan took only eight days, they both “trained for many years.” They are eligible to stay in space for a long time and help drive the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft that will take them home next year.
“It’s very peaceful here,” Williams said on September 13, although she added that they miss their family back to Earth.
Astronauts are studying research, maintenance and data analysis during extended stays.
“We had a great time on ISS,” Williams said. At the press conference July will be held from track. “I’m not complaining. Butch didn’t complain that we were here for an extra few weeks.”
Wilmore and Williams answered media questions in March.
How did they fall into space first?
this Starliner has been postponed In May, there was a problem with the valves in the rocket. The engineer then had to fix the helium leak. This is all bad news from Boeing. It is Compete with SpaceXthat’s Ship astronauts to the International Space Station Since 2020, you can successfully go to the space station.
Starliner finally launched on Atlas V Rocket on June 5, but with it some issues came. NASA announces this Three helium leaks It was identified that one of them was known before the flight, and two new ones were found. In addition to the leak, the crew must also troubleshoot the control thruster, although the process is able to successfully dock with the ISS.
SpaceX also failed. one Falcon 9 Rockets exploded On the 2016 Launchpad. In July, the Falcon 9 rocket experienced a liquid oxygen leak and deployed its satellite in the wrong orbit, The New York Times Report. In late August, a Falcon 9 rocket landed on the first phase of the booster when it pushed to the Atlantic Ocean and On fire.
But that’s why SpaceX has more than 300 successes Falcon 9 Flight Worth commendable.
Stuck in Space: Timeline
- May: Due to problems with valves in the rocket, the launch of Starliner was delayed and helium was leaked.
- June 5: Starliner releases along with Williams and Wilmore.
- June 6: Starliner is on the ISS Pier Terminal despite handling three helium leaks and failed control thrusters.
- September 6: Starliner leaves ISS and lands in New Mexico, leaving Williams and Wilmore behind.
- September 28: SpaceX Crew-9 Mission launches on the Dragon Spacecraft along with Hague and Gorbunov.
- September 29: SpaceX Dragon Pier with ISS.
- December 17: NASA announced it will postpone the launch of four crew members from February to late March.
- March 2025: SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft will return to Earth along with Williams, Wilmore, Hague and Gorbunov.
