Stranded Astronauts Set to Blast Off Home: NASA's Tuesday Extraterrestrial Exodus
- NASA announces scheduled Earth return of astronauts stranded on Tuesday
Ready your countdowns, space enthusiasts! NASA’s “stranded” astronauts – Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore – are gearing up for their return to Earth, scheduled for Tuesday! Here's the scoop:
The cosmic duo jetted off to the lively International Space Station (ISS) aboard a Starliner spacecraft from Boeing back in June, initially expecting an eight-day space sojourn. Unfortunately, a technical glitch with the Starliner forced an unwelcome extension, with Williams and Wilmore finding themselves temporarily “orbital roommates.”
But fear not, these resilient space farers have a new ride home! They warmly welcomed their replacements – a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule – upon its docking with the ISS on Sunday. Alongside them, astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will bound back to Mother Earth with Williams and Wilmore on Tuesday.
Prepare for lift-off with them as the thrilling return journey unfolds, all live on the interwebs, starting Monday evening with the heart-pounding hatch closure on the Dragon capsule.
In case you missed it, the newest ISS crew took off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Friday aboard a SpaceX rocket. This fresh group consists of US astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, and Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi.
- NASA
- ISS
- Sunita Williams
- SpaceX
- Florida
- Crew Dragon
- International Space Station
Enrichment Data:
The prolonged mission of astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, originally slated for eight days, stretched to a whopping 286 days due to mechanical woes with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft[1]. They will make their way back to Earth on March 2025 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon, splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico[2].
Joining them on the return trip are astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who had already been aboard the ISS since September[1]. However, the specific details about who replaced Williams and Wilmore as part of the ongoing ISS crew remain undisclosed in the available information.
- NASA has adjusted the schedule for the return of astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore, who were initially stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) due to a technical issue with Boeing's Starliner.
- The extended stay for Williams and Wilmore will finally come to an end as they are set to travel back to Earth on the SpaceX Crew Dragon on Tuesday, joining astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov as they return to Florida.
- Following the successful handover of the ISS crew on Sunday, Sunny Williams and Barry Wilmore will reverse roles, leaving astronauts Nichole Ayers, Anne McClain, Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, and Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi to command the station.
