Astronaut Wilmore and Williams: Return from ISS delays!

Astronaut Wilmore and Williams: Return from ISS delays!

International Space Station, Erde - The NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore (61) and Sununi Williams (58) have to prepare for a long stay at the international space station. Originally, your return was to be returned in February 2025, but it has now been announced that you are expected to remain by the end of March 2025. The reason for this is technical problems with the SpaceX Dragon spaceship that is planned for your return. According to the NASA, the team needs additional time to prepare the capsule thoroughly and ensure that everything works perfectly before Wilmore and Williams can be brought back to earth, such as today.at reported.

The two astronauts came on June 6, 2024 with the Boeing Starliner capsule to the ISS, which was only intended for a short stay of eight days. Due to technical difficulties, especially with the thrust nozzles and helium leaks, the capsule was not allowed to return to Earth unmanned, which extended Wilmore and Williams' stay. You should now return together with the crew of a SpaceX spacecraft that flew to ISS on September 30, 2024. The crew 9 team, consisting of the US astronaut Nick Hague and the Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunow, came on board and will take the two stranded astronauts back, like ZDF further reported.

While the two NASA astronauts have to spend several months in weightlessness, NASA hopes that the coming weeks can be used to fix the problems with the SpaceX capsule and to ensure a safe return flight home. NASA decided not to have the two astronauts returned with the Boeing Starliner due to the security concerns, but rather to take the return trip together with the privately operated SpaceX crew.