Two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, are finally set to return to Earth after spending nine months aboard the International Space Station. Their adventure began last June with a launch on Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which was a delayed crew debut.
Initially, they expected to be gone for just a week. However, the Starliner faced numerous challenges, and NASA eventually decided it was too risky to carry any astronauts on a return flight. So, it returned empty. Their homecoming was pushed back again due to delays with a new SpaceX capsule that was supposed to replace them.
Now, they are waiting for their replacements to reach the ISS, which is scheduled for next week. Once the new crew arrives, Wilmore and Williams can leave with a SpaceX capsule that has room for a couple of extra astronauts, making the journey home a bit more crowded.
In a recent news conference, Wilmore addressed the political discussions surrounding their return, noting that while politics is part of the equation, it didn’t impact their mission timeline directly. They had a change in flight schedule thanks to a new SpaceX capsule, which will help them get home a little sooner.
Suni Williams also shared her thoughts on Elon Musk’s idea of retiring the space station sooner than planned. She emphasized the value of the scientific research being conducted in the ISS, stating, “This place is ticking. It’s just really amazing.” She believes that now is not the right time to walk away from such essential work.
Both astronauts expressed excitement about returning home. For Williams, the hardest part of the extended stay was the wait for their families back on Earth. “It’s been a roller coaster for them,” she explained, highlighting the emotional challenges for their loved ones.
Nasa recently announced that the next crew would launch in a used capsule, moving the liftoff date to March 12. During their last week in space, Wilmore and Williams will spend time with Nasa’s Nick Hague and Russia’s Alexander Gorbunov, who will join them aboard the ISS before the journey home.
As seasoned astronauts, Wilmore and Williams have maintained their health and commitment to the mission throughout their time in space. They even completed a spacewalk together earlier this year. For their trip back, they will wear SpaceX flight suits instead of their custom-made ones, which is perfectly fine with them. Wilmore jokingly mentioned he might write his name on his suit, saying, “We’re just Butch and Suni. Everybody knows who we are by now.”
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