NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been unexpectedly stranded in space for nearly nine months, are finally set to return to Earth. The two astronauts will depart later this month, but only after their replacements arrive at the International Space Station (ISS) next week, in March 2025.
Unexpected delays extended their stay
Wilmore and Williams initially planned to stay in space for just a week after launching aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June 2023. However, severe technical issues with the Starliner forced NASA to deem it unsafe for human travel, leading to an empty return flight of the spacecraft.
The astronauts’ homecoming was further delayed due to the prolonged preparation of a brand-new SpaceX capsule, which was set to bring their replacements.
Last month, NASA announced that the crew swap would instead occur via a used SpaceX capsule, advancing the launch date to March 12, 2025.
Astronauts to return with extra crew members
Both the stranded astronauts will not be returning alone. They will be joined by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, who launched separately in September 2024 with two empty seats on their spacecraft.
Speaking from the ISS, Sunita Williams admitted that while she and Wilmore are physically and mentally prepared, their families on Earth have had a harder time dealing with the uncertainty of their prolonged stay.
“It’s been a roller coaster for them, probably a little more so than for us,” she shared during a live broadcast.
The mission continues despite challenges
Despite the setbacks, both Wilmore and Williams—retired Navy captains and experienced space travellers—have continued to contribute to ISS operations. They even conducted a spacewalk together in January as part of their mission duties.
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