NASA has announced that the return of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stationed aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2023, will be delayed until at least late March 2025. The duo was initially scheduled to return after an eight-day mission, but their stay on the ISS has been extended due to complications with the spacecraft they arrived in.
Williams and Wilmore were supposed to return aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, but the capsule was deemed unfit for the journey after suffering thruster failures and helium gas leaks. As a result, their return has been postponed, and they will now return with astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov on the Crew-10 mission, which is set to launch in March 2025. The mission had originally been scheduled for February 2025, but the launch has been pushed back to allow for further processing of the new Dragon spacecraft.
NASA confirmed that during this extended stay, Williams and Wilmore will continue to work on scientific research and maintenance aboard the ISS. The delay will also allow the incoming Crew-9 mission to share vital information with the current crew to ensure a smooth transition and continued scientific operations.
While this situation is challenging for Williams and Wilmore, they are not alone. They are joined by fellow astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the ISS, including Oleg Kononenko, Nikolai Chub, and several other team members. The ISS, a well-stocked and secure facility, continues to serve as a “home” for these astronauts, providing a safe environment for their work and research in space.
Other spacecraft, including the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour and various resupply ships, are also docked with the ISS to support ongoing missions.
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