NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore have returned to Earth after 9 months on the ISS: why were they delayed?
19 march 2025 в 19:13
NASA astronauts Sunita «Suni» Williams and Barry «Batch» Wilmore entered the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5, 2024 after a spaceflight on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. What was supposed to be an eight-day mission turned into a stay of about nine months for Williams and Wilmore before they finally got the chance to return home. So why were they stuck there for almost a year?
Read on to learn all about Williams and Wilmore’s mission and their months-long stay on the ISS.
Williams and Wilmore were on the ISS for approximately 286 days from June 5, 2024 to March 18, 2025. Both astronauts insisted, however, that they did not feel abandoned or stuck during an interview with CNN on February 13, 2025.
«We don’t feel abandoned. We don’t feel stuck. We don’t feel lost», - Wilmore told CNN from the ISS. «I understand why others might think that. We come prepared. We come obligated. That’s what your human spaceflight program is. We prepare for all possible scenarios we can think of, and we prepare for them. So, if you help us change the rhetoric, help us change the narrative, let’s change it to prepared and obligated, as you’ve heard. That’s what we prefer».
Williams agreed and noted, «Batch and I knew this was a test flight», - pointing out that «we probably will find some issues [with the Starliner] and we found some things, so it wasn’t a surprise».
Wilmore and Williams could not safely return to Earth on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft due to technical issues, including helium leaks and propulsion problems, according to NASA.
The astronauts' return home was delayed throughout 2024, leading to speculation that it could be politically motivated. However, NASA clarified that the decision to send Wilmore and Williams back on the SpaceX spacecraft was driven by safety, budgetary concerns regarding another rescue mission, and the desire to leave them on board the ISS.
Wilmore and Williams finally returned home on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule on March 18, 2025.
The future spaceflights of Williams and Wilmore are unclear as they have just returned to Earth. However, both astronauts have years of experience in spaceflight. Williams is one of the most experienced astronauts, having completed nine spacewalks, served in the US Navy, and commanded the ISS.
Wilmore, on the other hand, served in the US Navy as a test pilot and has completed three spaceflights
Read on to learn all about Williams and Wilmore’s mission and their months-long stay on the ISS.
Williams and Wilmore were on the ISS for approximately 286 days from June 5, 2024 to March 18, 2025. Both astronauts insisted, however, that they did not feel abandoned or stuck during an interview with CNN on February 13, 2025.
«We don’t feel abandoned. We don’t feel stuck. We don’t feel lost», - Wilmore told CNN from the ISS. «I understand why others might think that. We come prepared. We come obligated. That’s what your human spaceflight program is. We prepare for all possible scenarios we can think of, and we prepare for them. So, if you help us change the rhetoric, help us change the narrative, let’s change it to prepared and obligated, as you’ve heard. That’s what we prefer».
Williams agreed and noted, «Batch and I knew this was a test flight», - pointing out that «we probably will find some issues [with the Starliner] and we found some things, so it wasn’t a surprise».
Wilmore and Williams could not safely return to Earth on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft due to technical issues, including helium leaks and propulsion problems, according to NASA.
The astronauts' return home was delayed throughout 2024, leading to speculation that it could be politically motivated. However, NASA clarified that the decision to send Wilmore and Williams back on the SpaceX spacecraft was driven by safety, budgetary concerns regarding another rescue mission, and the desire to leave them on board the ISS.
Wilmore and Williams finally returned home on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule on March 18, 2025.
The future spaceflights of Williams and Wilmore are unclear as they have just returned to Earth. However, both astronauts have years of experience in spaceflight. Williams is one of the most experienced astronauts, having completed nine spacewalks, served in the US Navy, and commanded the ISS.
Wilmore, on the other hand, served in the US Navy as a test pilot and has completed three spaceflights
© Smirnova Olga
