Sunita Williams’ Return to Earth Cleared: SpaceX Dragon Reaches Space, Astronauts Celebrate
Sunita Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore have been stranded in space for several months. To bring them back to Earth, NASA and SpaceX have launched the Crew-9 mission. Traveling in a SpaceX Dragon capsule, NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian space agency Roscosmos’ cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov successfully reached the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, where they were warmly welcomed upon arrival.
Astronauts Meet Upon Arrival at the Station
On Saturday at 1:17 PM (1717 GMT), the Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Dragon spacecraft made contact with the ISS on Sunday at 5:30 PM. Following this, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian astronaut Alexander Gorbunov arrived at the station at 7:00 PM, where they embraced their colleagues upon arrival. NASA’s Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said at a press conference that it was a wonderful day.
Sunita Williams Went to Space for the Third Time on June 5
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams embarked on her third space journey on June 5, 2024. After approximately 25 hours, Williams reached the International Space Station (ISS). She was scheduled to return to Earth on June 13 after staying in the station for 8 days to conduct research and experiments, but technical issues delayed their mission.
Sunita’s partner, Butch Wilmore, is also stranded in space. NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich stated that during the final stage of their journey to the ISS on June 6, five of the 28 reaction control thrusters on the Starliner malfunctioned, though four came back online.
Why Are They Unable to Return?
Initially, the mission was supposed to last for nine days. Williams and Wilmore were to return to Earth on June 13. However, due to various technical issues with the Starliner, including a helium leak and thruster failure, their return date kept getting extended. NASA set June 26 as the new return date, but it was later postponed. The Boeing Starliner spacecraft, currently docked with the ISS, can stay attached for an extended period. According to Steve Stich, it can remain docked for 45 days under normal conditions, but if necessary, this can be extended to 72 days.
Sunita, Stranded in Space for 85 Days, Will Return Next Year
On February 24, NASA announced that Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore would return to Earth by February 2025. NASA finally acknowledged that bringing back the two astronauts trapped in the ISS via Boeing’s new Starliner capsule could be risky.
Both astronauts were sent to the ISS on June 5 aboard the same spacecraft. NASA stated that Sunita and Butch Wilmore would return in February aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, owned by Elon Musk. Meanwhile, the Starliner capsule will detach from the ISS and attempt to return on autopilot within one or two weeks.
NASA official Bill Nelson said, “Boeing’s Starliner will return to Earth without a crew.” Sunita and Wilmore were scheduled to return on June 13, but technical issues with the spacecraft delayed their return.
