- NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, stuck in space since June 2024, will return home sooner than expected. Technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule forced an extended stay at the International Space Station.
- The pair will board the returning Crew-9 capsule after a handover on the ISS, joining Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov for the journey back to Earth.
- Their return marks the end of an unexpectedly extended mission, which became a political issue with claims of abandonment, despite NASA’s assurances of a planned safe return.
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Two astronauts stuck in space for months will finally return home sooner than expected. NASA announced Tuesday, Feb. 11, that Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will leave the International Space Station around March 12, about two weeks earlier than previously planned.
The pair originally launched in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule for what was supposed to be a 10-day mission.
However, technical issues with the spacecraft made their return too risky, forcing an indefinite stay in orbit.
NASA sent the capsule back to Earth empty in September, leaving the astronauts waiting for an alternative ride home.
NASA and SpaceX are accelerating the target launch and return dates for the upcoming crew rotation missions to and from @Space_Station.#Crew10 launch now is targeted for March 12, pending mission readiness and completion of flight readiness: https://t.co/MhBNJCL80F pic.twitter.com/ZZs9NltVI5
— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) February 11, 2025
A change in spacecraft moves up return
NASA planned for SpaceX to bring Wilmore and Williams home in February, but delays in preparing a new Crew Dragon spacecraft pushed the timeline back.
To speed things up, NASA decided to use a different SpaceX capsule, Crew Dragon Endurance, for its upcoming Crew-10 mission. This switch frees up seats on an earlier return flight for the stranded astronauts.
Once Crew-10 launches on March 12, there will be a five- to seven-day handover on the space station. After that, Wilmore and Williams will board the returning Crew-9 capsule along with Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, who have been on the ISS since September.
Depending on weather conditions, the astronauts’ could return by the third week of March.
Political tensions surround astronauts’ stay
The astronauts’ extended mission became a political issue after President Donald Trump claimed that the Biden administration “abandoned” them in space. He even said he asked SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to “go get” them.
However, NASA had already planned their safe return months ago, with a dedicated spacecraft docked at the ISS since September.
NASA officials rejected claims that the astronauts were stranded, emphasizing that they were never at risk and that delays were due to safety concerns and mission logistics.
The final countdown
With Crew-10 now moving forward on a proven spacecraft, the long wait for Wilmore and Williams is nearly over. Their return will mark the end of an unexpectedly extended mission, ensuring they make it back to Earth safe and sound.
