Stranded US Astronauts Return To Earth On Tuesday After Nine Months
Two US astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months, are set to return to Earth on Tuesday evening, according to NASA.
They will travel alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which docked at the ISS on Sunday.
Wilmore and Williams have been unable to return due to propulsion issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which was supposed to bring them back after its maiden crewed voyage in June.
The malfunction left them stuck far beyond the usual six-month rotation for astronauts.
NASA announced on Sunday that the return mission had been moved up to Tuesday at 5:57 pm (2157 GMT), earlier than the initial schedule of no sooner than Wednesday.
The space agency explained that the change allows the ISS crew to complete handover duties while avoiding bad weather later in the week.
The return journey will be broadcast live from Monday evening as preparations for hatch closure begin.
Their prolonged stay, although much shorter than the record 371-day US space mission by NASA’s Frank Rubio or the world record 437 days set by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, has drawn attention due to the unexpected nature of their extended absence.
The astronauts had to receive extra clothing and personal items, as they had not packed for such a long mission.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
