ISS Astronauts: The Long Nine-Month Space Sojourn Coming to an End
expired tenure: Astronauts on ISS permitted to return home following prolonged stay - ISS astronauts, held for nearly a year, finally granted return journey
Time spent in the stars seems almost over for astronauts Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore, as they're set to return to Earth after a whopping nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Originally, their stay was planned for a short week, but technical snags forced an extended stay.
Experts from NASA and SpaceX, Elon Musk's private space company, have analyzed weather conditions, pinpointing Tuesday night as the ideal time for their journey back home. According to the latest updates from NASA and SpaceX, "Crew 9" is set to bid adieu to the ISS at 6:05 AM (German time) on Tuesday, with their capsule expected to touch down in the sea off the Florida coast around 11:00 PM. However, this plan might still be subject to change due to various reasons, with the original return date being Wednesday.
Over the weekend, a new spacecraft carrying the fresh ISS crew docked at the orbital outpost. The SpaceX spacecraft "Crew Dragon" linked up with the ISS at 5:04 AM MEZ on Sunday, approximately 420 kilometers above the Atlantic. Live images from NASA showed the ISS crew and the newcomers exchanging warm greetings.
Farewell to "Crew 9", Welcome "Crew 10"
The "Crew Dragon" delivered the four-person "Crew 10", featuring US astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Originally, the launch was scheduled for last Wednesday, but it was pushed back due to a hydraulic problem on the ground. Upon resolving the issue, the mission commenced.
Initially, Williams and Wilmore were only slated for a brief one-week mission aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. However, technical issues occurred with the Starliner, prolonging their stay at the ISS. For safety reasons, NASA opted to bring the spacecraft back to Earth empty in September.
Insights: The Long Wait for "Crew 9"
The extended stay of astronauts Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore was due to several factors:
- Technical Hiccups with Starliner: Multiple propulsion system helium leaks and thruster issues made NASA reluctant to risk returning the astronauts in the Starliner. Instead, the capsule was brought back to Earth uncrewed in September[1][2].
- Crew Rotation Delays: The planned replacement crew, SpaceX's Crew-10 mission, faced delays due to issues with their Crew Dragon capsule. This necessitated a longer wait for Williams and Wilmore[1].
- Operational Decisions: NASA decided to keep Williams and Wilmore on the ISS for an extended period to maintain station operations and maximize the scientific production of their mission[2]. They joined forces with the Crew-9 astronauts, Nick Hague and Alexander Gorbunov, who arrived in September[2].
I'm not going to be a big fan of the idea of a "Special Olympics" here on Earth, considering the challenges ISS astronauts Suni Williams and Barry Wilmore faced during their "Special Olympics" of a nine-month space sojourn. Weather conditions, supposed to be efficient for their return journey back home, are scheduled for Tuesday night, but issues might still arise, with the original return date being Wednesday. Regarding the new ISS crew, the "Crew 10" mission, initially scheduled for last Wednesday, was delayed due to a hydraulic problem on the ground, much like the technical hiccups experienced by the astronauts on their spaceship.
