NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to spend an unexpected nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), a significant extension from their originally planned eight-day mission. NASA announced that their return to Earth has been delayed until at least late March, marking a dramatic shift in the mission’s timeline.
The duo arrived at the ISS in June on a test mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule. However, their return was pushed back by eight months to February after the Starliner was deemed unfit to bring them back home. Now, with further delays, Williams and Wilmore will remain on the ISS until after the arrival of the Crew-10 mission.
NASA confirmed that Williams and Wilmore, along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, will return to Earth following the arrival of the four-member Crew-10 mission. The launch of Crew-10 is now expected in late March, after being postponed to allow more time for processing a new Dragon spacecraft for the mission.
Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov joined the ISS in September, over three months after Williams and Wilmore began their extended stay. The astronauts are utilizing this time to continue critical scientific research and maintenance aboard the space station.
“Known as a handover period, it allows Crew-9 to share any lessons learned with the newly arrived crew and support a better transition for ongoing science and maintenance at the complex,” NASA stated on Tuesday.
The agency has not specified an exact date for the astronauts’ return but emphasized the importance of the handover period to ensure a seamless continuation of the ISS’s operations.
The Crew-10 mission was originally scheduled for February but has been delayed to late March. The postponement allows NASA teams additional time to prepare the new Dragon spacecraft designated for the mission.
This extended stay highlights the challenges and unpredictabilities of space missions, as well as the adaptability of astronauts in the face of changing circumstances. The prolonged mission offers additional opportunities for scientific experiments and international cooperation aboard the ISS.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
