“Two astronauts who were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule are facing further delays in their return to Earth due to unforeseen issues.
NASA announced on the 17th local time that the return schedule of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, currently aboard the ISS, has been delayed following the replacement of SpaceX’s spacecraft, which is responsible for transporting astronauts to the ISS.
NASA revealed that the launch of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, which Williams and Wilmore will return in, will not occur until at least the end of March next year.
Previously, their return was expected in February next year, but this adjustment pushes it back by approximately two months.
As a result, the astronauts’ stay on the ISS will extend to about 10 months.
Williams and Wilmore initially left Earth on June 5 aboard Boeing’s Starliner for its first crewed test flight, intended to last about eight days.
However, after the Starliner docked with the ISS, issues such as helium leaks and malfunctions with the thrusters delayed their return.
Ultimately, NASA decided to use SpaceX’s Dragon for the return trip instead of the Starliner due to safety concerns, aligning their schedule with the Crew-9 mission, which was already planned for astronaut rotation at the ISS.
Originally, two seats were to be reserved on the return craft for Williams and Wilmore by removing two astronauts from the Crew-9 mission, making room on the Dragon capsule.
But on that day, NASA explained the decision to deploy a new spacecraft rather than the existing Dragon capsule for the Crew-9 to Crew-10 astronaut swap, citing the need for additional time to get the new vehicle ready.
NASA stated, ‘After careful consideration, the team determined that launching the new Dragon spacecraft by the end of March next year is the best option to meet NASA’s requirements and achieve the 2025 space station goals.’
According to NASA, once the four Crew-10 astronauts arrive on the ISS aboard the new Dragon capsule and complete the crew changeover, Williams, Wilmore, and two Crew-9 astronauts will return to Earth together in this capsule.
Despite the extended stay, Williams and Wilmore recently sent a photo smiling broadly to celebrate Christmas as it approaches.
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