Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore launched on June 5, 2024, aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
Initially planned as a short eight-day mission, their journey has now turned into a nine-month test of endurance and adaptability in space.
They have to stay on ISS until March 2025.
NASA has announced a significant change in its space exploration plans, extending the stay of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore aboard the International Space Station (ISS) until late March 2025. Initially planned as a short eight-day mission, their journey has now turned into a nine-month test of endurance and adaptability in space.
Williams and Wilmore launched on June 5, 2024, aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The mission was supposed to be a brief test flight to evaluate the spacecraft’s performance. However, technical issues, including problems with the thrusters and helium leaks, disrupted the mission. These challenges forced NASA to return the Starliner to Earth in September 2024 without a crew, leaving the two astronauts aboard the ISS for an extended period.
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The delay in their return is linked to the rescheduling of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission. Initially set for February 2025, the mission has now been postponed to late March 2025 at the earliest. NASA has cited the need for additional time to prepare a new Dragon spacecraft, ensuring it meets all safety and performance standards. Steve Stich, the manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, emphasized the importance of thorough preparation, stating that the extra time allows teams to carefully process the spacecraft.
The Crew-10 mission will include NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. While they await their rescheduled launch, the crew continues their rigorous training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has repeatedly highlighted the agency’s commitment to astronaut safety, emphasizing that the extended timeline and meticulous planning reflect their dedication to protecting the crew.
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Ayushi Jain
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