Sunita Williams Won’t Return to Earth This Year, Find Out When She Will... Read Full Story
NASA has announced a significant change in the return plans for astronaut Sunita Williams. Initially scheduled to return to Earth aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, Williams will now make her way back using SpaceX's Crew Dragon. This change comes amid ongoing technical issues with the Starliner, which have delayed her return.
Sunita Williams, along with fellow astronaut Barry Wilmore, launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5. The mission, initially planned for a brief stay, has now extended over a month and a half due to complications with their spacecraft. Despite efforts to resolve the issues, Williams and Wilmore remain in orbit, with NASA confirming that their return is unlikely to happen this year.
Return Plan Shifted to 2025
NASA has announced that Williams and Wilmore are now expected to return to Earth in February 2025 aboard SpaceX's Dragon Crew Capsule. The shift to SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, was made after continued problems with Boeing's Starliner, including a helium leak and thruster issues, which have rendered it unsuitable for their return journey.
After extensive review by experts across the agency, NASA's @BoeingSpace Crew Flight Test will return with an uncrewed #Starliner. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are scheduled to return to Earth next spring aboard #Crew9: https://t.co/bfjenUU1Jf pic.twitter.com/c4NzZVJcvw
— NASA (@NASA) August 24, 2024
NASA and SpaceX have already laid out a detailed plan for the astronauts' safe return. The Crew Dragon spacecraft, which has been used successfully in several previous missions, will bring both astronauts back home as part of the Crew-9 mission.
The Journey So Far
Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore embarked on their journey to space aboard Boeing's Starliner on June 5. The original mission plan was for a short stay at the ISS, with a scheduled return within a week. However, technical problems with the Starliner have left the astronauts stranded in space far longer than anticipated.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson assured that both Williams and Wilmore are safe and will be brought back to Earth with Crew-9. The switch to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon underscores NASA’s flexibility in ensuring the safety and success of its missions, even when faced with unexpected challenges.
The return of Williams and Wilmore in early 2025 will mark the end of a mission fraught with delays but highlights the ongoing collaboration between NASA and private spaceflight companies like SpaceX to maintain and ensure safe operations in space exploration.
