NASA astronauts: return after 8 months in space is getting closer!

NASA astronauts: return after 8 months in space is getting closer!

A turbulent space adventure comes to an end! NASA has finally set the return date for stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. After an unexpectedly long stay of more than eight months on the International Space Station (ISS), the two are scheduled to return to Earth on March 12, 2025 oe24.at reported. Their mission was originally scheduled to last just eight days, but technical problems with their spacecraft, the Boeing Starliner, led to unforeseen delays.

Wilmore and Williams have been in space since June 5 last year, when they traveled to the ISS aboard the Boeing Starliner. Due to problems such as leaks and failed engines, their return was repeatedly postponed. The return vehicle, a SpaceX Crew Dragon, has been docked with the ISS since September, but the astronauts had to wait until March 12 for the Crew 10 mission, which will take over the return transport.

Important missions in space

Not only is the return of the two astronauts imminent, but also their participation in NASA's 274th spacewalk. How space.com reported that Williams and Wilmore were assigned to perform important maintenance work on the ISS. They will dismantle communications equipment and collect samples for microbial testing. This next adventure, scheduled to take place on January 30, 2025, will be Wilmore's fifth and Williams' tenth spacewalk.

The return of the two astronauts is not only an important step, but also a sign of the unpredictability of space missions. However, NASA assures that the astronauts will be well looked after during their long stay. Suni Williams herself confessed that after so many days in space, she has forgotten what it's like to walk. If all goes well, they will fly back to Earth in a used capsule, Endurance, which is scheduled to land off the coast of Florida.