Stranded US Astronauts to Return to Earth After Nine-Month ISS Stay

After more than nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally set to return to Earth on Tuesday evening, NASA confirmed.

The duo, who were originally scheduled for a short-term mission, became stranded after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft suffered propulsion issues, rendering it unfit for their return trip.

They will be transported back aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, along with fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The spacecraft, which arrived at the ISS early Sunday, is scheduled for an ocean splashdown off the Florida coast at approximately 5:57 p.m. (2157 GMT) on Tuesday—a day earlier than originally planned.

“The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected for later in the week,” NASA said in a statement.

Their extended stay, much longer than the standard six-month ISS mission, has drawn widespread attention and sympathy, as they had to receive extra clothing and personal care items after unexpectedly spending months longer in space than planned.

While their ordeal falls short of the US space record of 371 days set by Frank Rubio in 2023 or the world record of 437 days set by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, the unexpected nature of their prolonged stay has made headlines.

For Wilmore and Williams, their return marks the end of an unplanned, nine-month challenge that was initially meant to last only a few days.

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