NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally set to return to Earth on Tuesday aboard a SpaceX capsule, concluding a mission that extended far beyond its original schedule due to Boeing’s failed test flight over nine months ago.
The duo bid farewell to the International Space Station (ISS), where they had been stationed since last spring, and departed alongside two other astronauts. Their capsule detached from the ISS before dawn, aiming for a splashdown off the Florida coast by early evening, provided weather conditions remain favorable.
Why Were Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore Delayed on the ISS?
Originally, Williams and Wilmore were expected to stay for about a week after launching on Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule on June 5. However, the spacecraft encountered multiple technical issues during its approach to the ISS, including thruster malfunctions and deformed Teflon seals, which NASA deemed unsafe for their return. As a result, the agency decided to send the Starliner back empty and transfer the astronauts to SpaceX, pushing their return to February. Additional delays with SpaceX’s Crew-10 launch added another month to their wait.
The astronauts’ extended stay was further prolonged due to postponements in launching their replacements. Crew-10’s mission, originally set for March 12, was pushed to March 14, 2025, impacting the return timeline for Williams and Wilmore.
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Controversy and Political Claims
The mission drew political attention when former President Donald Trump and his adviser, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, claimed—without evidence—that President Joe Biden had deliberately left Williams and Wilmore stranded for political reasons. The astronauts dismissed these claims.
Due to delays in preparing a new SpaceX capsule, the company opted to send a used one instead, expediting the process by several weeks.
A Long-Awaited Return
With the arrival of their replacement crew, Wilmore and Williams were finally cleared to leave. NASA approved their early departure due to uncertain weather conditions later in the week.
Though astronauts have completed longer spaceflights, few have faced such an unpredictable timeline. Initially guests aboard the ISS, Williams and Wilmore became integral members of the station crew, conducting experiments, repairing equipment, and even spacewalking together. Williams, now 59, set a new record with 62 hours of spacewalk time across nine missions, the most for any female astronaut.
During their stay, Williams took on the role of ISS commander three months into the mission and remained in charge until earlier this month. Having both lived on the ISS before, she and Wilmore quickly adapted to their extended mission, turning an unexpected delay into another chapter in their spaceflight careers.
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