After nine months in space, two stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are finally closing in on their return to Earth. They will be reunited with their families after a prolonged wait, which was further delayed due to extra completion time for the new SpaceX capsule.
The astronauts were initially expected to launch last June but had their mission pushed back due to problems with Boeing’s Starliner capsule. The delay allowed NASA to announce the next crew would launch in a used capsule instead, pushing up liftoff to March 12.
Wilmore and Williams, both retired Navy captains and repeat space fliers, have been committed to their mission despite the delays. They took a spacewalk together in January and will be joined on their ride home by two astronauts who launched alone earlier this month.
When asked about the delays, Wilmore said that politics did not play into their return, but Williams expressed concerns over SpaceX’s plan to deorbit the International Space Station in two years. The ISS has been a hub for scientific research, and Williams argued that it was an “inopportune time” to say quit.
The astronauts will wear generic SpaceX flight suits instead of their custom-made outfits, which they will not be able to use on their ride home. They are looking forward to being reunited with their families, particularly their Labrador retrievers, after a challenging extended stay in space.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-butch-wilmore-suni-williams-4e379e121d4386d2baca1e3426f62e58