NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were stranded in space for nine months after a test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, are set to return home with SpaceX. The two astronauts, who have been living on the International Space Station, will undock from the station early Tuesday morning and embark on a 17-hour journey back to Earth.
Wilmore, 62, and Williams, 59, were launched into space in June last year as part of NASA’s test flight program for Boeing’s Starliner. However, their mission was plagued by technical issues, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, which forced NASA to order the capsule back empty.
The astronauts had been living on the space station since September, when they were unable to return due to the technical issues. Despite facing criticism from President Donald Trump and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who accused the Biden administration of keeping them in space too long, NASA officials maintained that their decision to wait for the next scheduled SpaceX flight was necessary.
Wilmore and Williams are now set to fly back on a different spacecraft, SpaceX’s Dragon, which they initially used as part of their test flight. The astronauts had previously flown on NASA’s space shuttle and Russia’s Soyuz capsule before signing up for the Starliner program.
Their return is expected to be a welcome homecoming, with Wilmore looking forward to reuniting with his family, including his wife and oldest daughter in college. Williams is excited to spend time with her dogs and take an ocean swim.
NASA officials have expressed gratitude for the support of the public during the astronauts’ long stay in space, describing them as “professional, devoted, committed, really outstanding.” The return of Wilmore and Williams marks a significant milestone in the Starliner program, which has faced numerous challenges since its launch.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/nasa-stuck-astronauts-butch-wilmore-suni-williams-432d8c3ebf8d617d2df4d3ae53db51c3