The astronauts had been initially scheduled to return in June 2024, however technical issues with the Starliner, together with helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, repeatedly delayed their departure
Two NASA astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who’ve been on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024, will lastly return to Earth with the assistance of SpaceX.
US President Donald Trump has asked Elon Musk’s firm, SpaceX, to carry the astronauts home after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft suffered a number of technical failures. Musk confirmed the request on X, saying, “The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so.” He criticised the Biden administration for leaving them in house for therefore lengthy.
The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to carry home the two astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as quickly as attainable. We will achieve this.
Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so lengthy.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 28, 2025
NASA, nonetheless, insists that the astronauts aren’t stranded. The company says Williams and Wilmore are wholesome and in good spirits regardless of their prolonged keep.
The astronauts had been initially scheduled to return in June 2024, however technical issues with the Starliner, together with helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, repeatedly delayed their departure. In September, NASA determined to return the Starliner to Earth and not using a crew, leaving the astronauts on the ISS.
NASA later introduced that Williams and Wilmore would return aboard SpaceX’s Crew-9 capsule. To accommodate them, authentic Crew-9 astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson had to hand over their seats.
This change has additionally delayed NASA’s subsequent mission, SpaceX Crew-10, which was initially deliberate for February 2025. It is now anticipated to launch in late March 2025.
