Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore poised for return as new crew lifts off on SpaceX mission | Technology News
After spending nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally on track for their long-awaited return to Earth. A replacement crew launched on Friday evening, paving the way for the duo’s homecoming after what was initially expected to be a short-term mission.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:03 pm. ET, carrying four astronauts who will take over operations on the ISS. This new crew includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, both military pilots, as well as Japan’s Takuya Onishi and Russia’s Kirill Peskov, both former airline pilots. The incoming crew will spend the next six months at the space station, while Williams and Wilmore prepare for their return.
The extended stay of Wilmore and Williams was marked by unexpected technical issues, political attention, and personal sacrifices. As test pilots for Boeing’s new Starliner capsule, the two astronauts had launched from Cape Canaveral on June 5, 2024, with the expectation of a brief stay. However, a series of technical setbacks — including helium leaks and thruster failures on the Starliner — forced NASA and Boeing into months of investigations, ultimately ruling the capsule unsafe for a return trip.
By September, NASA made the decision to send the Starliner back empty and moved Wilmore and Williams to a SpaceX flight scheduled for February. Yet more delays followed when SpaceX’s new capsule needed extensive battery repairs before it could launch the replacement crew. Eventually, to expedite the astronauts’ return, SpaceX opted to use a previously flown capsule, which moved Wilmore and Williams’ homecoming to mid-March.
The return of the astronauts has drawn attention not only for the technical and operational challenges but also for the political spotlight it garnered earlier this year. US President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk both publicly vowed to accelerate the astronauts’ return and pointed fingers at the prior administration for delaying it.
“We came prepared to stay long, even though we planned to stay short,” Wilmore said in a recent interview. “That’s what your nation’s human spaceflight program’s all about — planning for unknown, unexpected contingencies. And we did that.”
Throughout their extended stay, the pair have helped keep the ISS running, including repairing a broken toilet, watering plants, conducting scientific experiments, and even going on a spacewalk together. Williams, who holds the record for the most spacewalks by a woman, now boasts nine spacewalks over her career.
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While they have managed to remain productive aboard the ISS, the extended mission has taken its toll on their personal lives. Both astronauts spoke of the challenges their families faced during their prolonged absence. Wilmore, a retired Navy captain and church elder, is eager to return to his wife and two daughters and resume his ministerial duties. Williams, who is also a retired Navy captain, looks forward to reuniting with her husband, mother, and two Labrador retrievers.
The astronauts are expected to undock from the ISS next week, weather permitting, and make their splashdown off the coast of Florida. NASA has planned an overlap between the departing and incoming crews, ensuring that Wilmore and Williams can fully brief their replacements before they depart.
Reflecting on the mission, Williams expressed gratitude for the support they’ve received. “We appreciate all the love and support from everybody,” she said earlier this week. “This mission has brought a little attention. There’s goods and bads to that. But I think the good part is more and more people have been interested in what we’re doing with space exploration.”
The toughest part of the extended mission, the astronauts said, has been being away from their families. Wilmore’s wife and two daughters, along with Williams’ husband and mother, have been waiting for their return for months.
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Besides reuniting with loved ones, Wilmore—who serves as a church elder—is eager to resume face-to-face ministering, while Williams is looking forward to simply walking her two Labrador retrievers.
“We appreciate all the love and support from everybody,” Williams said in an interview earlier this week, according to news agency AP. “This mission has brought a little attention. There’s good and bad to that. But I think the good part is more and more people have been interested in what we’re doing” with space exploration.
(With inputs from Agencies)
