After nine months aboard the International Space Station, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are headed home. They and two other astronauts boarded a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule late Monday night, undocking from the ISS on Tuesday morning for a 17-hour journey back to Earth.
What to Know:
- The Crew Dragon capsule detached from the station at 1:05 a.m. Eastern, marking the beginning of the return flight.
- The capsule will land off Florida’s Gulf Coast at around 5:57 p.m. Eastern, with recovery crews ready for the operation.
- Williams and Wilmore are joined by Nick Hague of NASA and Aleksandr Gorbunov from Russia’s Roscosmos.
- Initially expecting a brief stay, Williams and Wilmore extended their time on the ISS, helping with scientific research after issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
Stay with Newsweek for the latest.
10:26 AM EDT June 2022: Wilmore and Williams are selected as the first crew aboard Boeing’s Starliner after several delays and technical setbacks.
June 5, 2024: Wilmore and Williams launch aboard Starliner, marking the spacecraft’s first crewed mission after multiple delays caused by issues with its propulsion system and a helium leak. Their mission is initially scheduled to last eight days.
June 6: Starliner crew arrives at the space station after a 27-hour flight, despite failures of five thrusters, marking another challenge for the spacecraft’s development.
June 11: NASA delays their return to Earth to June 18, citing continued investigations into propulsion issues and helium leaks.
June 21: NASA delays their return again, with no specific date provided.
June 26: A third delay raises concerns about Starliner’s technical issues and whether SpaceX’s Crew Dragon might be called to bring them back.
June 27: An old Russian satellite breaks into debris near the ISS, prompting all astronauts to prepare for emergency evacuation. Despite Starliner’s ongoing issues, Wilmore and Williams are able to return to their spacecraft safely.
June 28: NASA’s decision on their return remains unclear, as testing continues on Starliner’s propulsion systems to determine when it will be safe for their return.
July 21: Wilmore and Williams reach 45 days on the ISS, surpassing the spacecraft’s approved maximum duration.
August 7: After technical investigations, Boeing and NASA discuss the severity of Starliner’s problems, with concerns mounting about its safety.
August 24: NASA decides to bring them back aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule during a scheduled astronaut rotation mission, Crew-9, with their return expected in February 2025.
September 6: Starliner returns to Earth without astronauts, landing safely at White Sands Missile Range after NASA deems the spacecraft unsafe for crewed flight.
September 29: Crew-9 launches with two astronauts to the ISS, leaving two seats empty for Wilmore and Williams’ eventual return.
December 17: NASA delays Crew-10’s launch, planned for February, until late March due to delays in SpaceX’s production of a new Crew Dragon capsule.
In this photo provided by NASA, Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams pose for a portrait inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station’s Harmony module… In this photo provided by NASA, Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore, left, and Suni Williams pose for a portrait inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station’s Harmony module and Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 13, 2024. The pair were initially meant to return around a week after docking in the ISS, but this has been pushed back as issues with the aircraft’s thrusters are investigated. NASA via AP
When astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were asked to extend their stay on the International Space Station from eight days to several months, they were undeterred. Speaking to reporters last September, both expressed positivity about the unexpected change in plans.
Mr. Wilmore said he would miss his family but never felt let down, stating, “Absolutely not. Never entered my mind.” Williams, who described space as “my happy place,” echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the enjoyment of being in orbit.
Although the extended stay was a surprise, both astronauts had been prepared for such contingencies. They launched in June on a test flight for the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which had never carried people before. As part of their training, they had learned to handle extended missions, just in case. NASA, always cautious, had already planned for the possibility of long-duration stays.
09:52 AM EDT Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will break tradition by returning to Earth in SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, despite having launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner. Typically, astronauts return in the same spacecraft they launched in, but due to delays, they will be using a different vehicle.
Both Wilmore and Williams have extensive flight experience, with previous missions aboard NASA’s space shuttle and Russia’s Soyuz capsule. While the Starliner and Dragon capsules are both autonomous, they are capable of manual control if necessary. During their time aboard the Starliner, Wilmore and Williams were in charge as test pilots. For their return, fellow astronaut Nick Hague, who launched aboard the Dragon last September, will be in command.
09:41 AM EDT Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams became the center of a political storm when President Donald Trump and SpaceX founder Elon Musk announced in January that they would accelerate their return from space, blaming the Biden administration for keeping them there too long.
NASA officials defended their decision to wait for the next scheduled SpaceX flight, targeting a February return. However, delays on Earth with the astronauts’ replacements, caused by battery work on a new SpaceX capsule, pushed things back. To speed up the process, SpaceX switched capsules, bringing the two astronauts home in the capsule that has been in space since last fall.
NASA’s Ken Bowersox praised Wilmore and Williams, calling them “professional, devoted, committed, really outstanding,” and expressing gratitude for the public’s concern about the astronauts.
09:30 AM EDT After months aboard the International Space Station, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are eager to reunite with their families and return to their routines. Wilmore, an elder in his Baptist church, is excited to resume face-to-face ministry and enjoy the scent of fresh-cut grass. He kept in touch with his congregation during his time in space, participating in prayer services and calling ailing members via the station’s internet phone.
Williams, on the other hand, is looking forward to long walks with her dogs and an ocean swim. Despite their extended time in space, NASA confirms that no special precautions will be needed for either astronaut upon their return.
As former astronaut Ken Bowersox explained, NASA trains astronauts to focus on their mission rather than when they’ll come home, though an extended stay is always a possibility.
Pictured: Left, Suni Williams and right, Butch Wilmore, before their departure to space on June 5 2024. Pictured: Left, Suni Williams and right, Butch Wilmore, before their departure to space on June 5 2024. Miguel J Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images
Test pilots Butch Wilmore, 62, and Suni Williams, 59, both came to NASA via the Navy. Wilmore, a Tennessee native, played football before joining the Navy and racking up 663 aircraft carrier landings. Williams, from Needham, Massachusetts, excelled in swimming and distance running before serving in combat helicopter squadrons.
NASA selected Williams as an astronaut in 1998, followed by Wilmore in 2000. Both astronauts had completed two spaceflights, including long stints at the space station, before joining Starliner’s first crew.
While they accepted delays in their homecoming, both astronauts shared the challenges faced by their families. Wilmore’s wife, Deanna, managed their household, with their oldest daughter in college and their youngest in high school. Williams’ husband, Mike, cared for their two Labrador retrievers while her mother worried from home.
09:04 AM EDT NASA has confirmed that all systems for the spacecraft are functioning as planned, and weather conditions are favorable for a smooth splashdown on Tuesday.
To ensure the astronauts’ safety, the decision was made to bring the return flight forward to tonight. The goal is to land the capsule in calm waters, reducing any risk during the final stages of the mission.
