Now Reading: Here’s what NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore can’t wait to do after landing on Earth |
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Here’s what NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore can’t wait to do after landing on Earth |
Here’s what NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore can’t wait to do after landing on Earth |
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who initially embarked on a brief take a look at flight aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, are lastly getting ready to return to Earth after an sudden nine-month keep aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their extended mission was due to technical failures within the Starliner capsule, which returned to Earth empty in September, leaving the 2 astronauts stranded. With a newly arrived crew on the ISS, Williams and Wilmore are set to make their long-awaited journey house aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. The mission, which has drawn world consideration, highlights each the resilience of the astronauts and the challenges dealing with business spaceflight packages.
What are stranded astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore trying ahead to on Earth
After spending almost a 12 months in house, each astronauts are keen to return to acquainted environment.
- Wilmore, a church elder, seems ahead to reuniting along with his congregation, strolling on grass, and spending time with household.
- Williams is happy to stroll her two Labrador retrievers and go for an ocean swim.
During their prolonged mission, Wilmore continued ministering remotely, taking part in prayer companies from house. Williams, in the meantime, stayed in touch together with her household, together with her husband Mike taking good care of their canine in her absence.
Why had been Williams and Wilmore caught on the ISS
The pair launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner on June 5, 2024, for what was anticipated to be a short take a look at flight. However, quickly after liftoff, a number of malfunctions occurred:
- Helium leaks and thruster failures affected the Starliner’s maneuverability.
- Engineers deemed it too dangerous to deliver the astronauts again within the capsule.
- NASA determined to ship the spacecraft again to Earth empty in September whereas conserving the astronauts safely on the ISS.
With the Starliner now not an possibility, Williams and Wilmore had to wait for the subsequent obtainable return spacecraft—SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which was initially delayed due to battery points on its new capsule.
NASA astronauts’ long-awaited return to Earth
Now {that a} substitute crew has arrived on the ISS, NASA has scheduled the astronauts’ return for Tuesday, March 19, 2025.
Return timeline:
Boarding the SpaceX Crew Dragon:
- Wilmore and Williams will enter the capsule and seal the hatch at roughly 11:05 PM ET on March 18.
- They will don flight fits and full pre-departure checks earlier than undocking.
Undocking and departure:
- The Crew Dragon capsule is scheduled to undock from the ISS at 1:05 AM ET on March 19.
- NASA will start live-streaming the occasion beginning at 12:45 AM ET.
Descent and splashdown:
- The spacecraft will start its descent and splash down within the Gulf of Mexico round 5:57 PM ET on the identical day.
- NASA restoration groups will retrieve the astronauts and transport them to Houston’s Johnson Space Center for post-mission medical evaluations.
Unlike Russia’s Soyuz capsule, which might return astronauts in 3.5 hours, Crew Dragon follows a 17-hour return sequence to prioritize security and landing precision.
Why are Williams and Wilmore returning in a SpaceX capsule as an alternative of Boeing’s Starliner
Traditionally, astronauts return to Earth in the identical spacecraft they launched in. However, due to the malfunctions in Starliner, NASA had no selection however to rely on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon as an alternative.
Boeing Starliner vs SpaceX Crew Dragon: Key variations
NASA initially aimed to have two business spacecraft obtainable for astronaut transport—Boeing’s Starliner and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. However, with Starliner dealing with ongoing technical challenges, SpaceX stays NASA’s major accomplice for human spaceflight.
What’s subsequent for Boeing’s Starliner
Starliner’s future stays unsure as Boeing engineers proceed investigating its propulsion system failures.
- NASA has not set a date for Starliner’s subsequent crewed flight and could select to conduct further uncrewed take a look at missions earlier than permitting astronauts to fly once more.
- The delays have additional solidified SpaceX’s dominance in business human spaceflight, as Crew Dragon stays the one operational U.S. spacecraft able to ferrying astronauts.
NASA officers, nonetheless, nonetheless assist having two competing spacecraft for redundancy and are hopeful that Starliner can ultimately turn into a dependable different.
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