Stranded US astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are scheduled to fly back to Earth on Tuesday — ending their extended, nine-month stay in space.
The NASA astronauts, who were originally supposed to be in space for only a week, will travel home with fellow American Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule, NASA said.
Wilmore, 62, and Williams, 59, have been stuck on the International Space Station since their Boeing Starliner capsule, which they arrived at the ISS on, suffered leaks and mechanical issues during their weeklong mission last June.
Rather than risk the astronauts returning to the malfunctioning capsule, NASA ordered the Starliner to fly back empty and wait for SpaceX’s next crew mission, which launched on Friday.
Wilmore and Williams’ nine-month stay was only supposed to last a week. AP
Elon Musk claimed that plans to bring them back earlier were shelved by former President Joe Biden, and that the mission had been marred by political mudslinging.
Biden administration officials, however, have denied leaving the astronauts in space for political reasons.
Preparations for the return trip are set to begin on Monday at around 10:45 p.m. EST, with the shuttle undocking at 1:05 a.m. Tuesday.
The astronauts’ descent would occur after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, with the splash-down time in Florida set to be confirmed later.
“Mission managers will continue monitoring weather conditions in the area, as Dragon’s undocking depends on various factors, including spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states and other factors,” NASA said in a statement.
Wilmore, Williams, Hague and Gorbunov’s tour at the ISS will be taken by NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
