Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will remain on the International Space Station (ISS) until at least March 19, NASA confirmed. Originally, their mission was supposed to last only eight days. However, due to technical issues, they have been stranded for nine months.
Mission Extended Due to Spacecraft Problems
Williams and Wilmore launched to the ISS in June 2024 on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. At first, NASA expected them to return quickly. However, technical problems with the spacecraft forced them to stay much longer than planned.
NASA Prepares Crew-10 Mission to Replace Them
Now, NASA is working on their return. The agency plans to launch SpaceX Crew-10 on March 14 at 7:03 p.m. EDT from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. This mission will send four astronauts to take over operations at the ISS. The new crew includes:
- Anne McClain (NASA)
- Nichole Ayers (NASA)
- Takuya Onishi (JAXA)
- Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos)
Delays Caused by Weather and Technical Issues
Initially, NASA planned to launch Crew-10 earlier, but several issues caused delays. Strong winds and rain along the flight path made conditions unsafe. In addition, SpaceX engineers had to fix a hydraulic issue with a ground support clamp arm at Launch Complex 39A.
Despite these setbacks, NASA now expects favorable weather on March 14, with a 95% chance of good conditions. However, if the launch moves to March 15 or 16, the chance of bad weather rises to 50-60%.
Crew-10 Will Take Over ISS Operations
Once Crew-10 arrives at the ISS on March 15, the astronauts will spend a few days adjusting before officially replacing Crew-9. Currently, the ISS crew includes:
- Nick Hague
- Sunita Williams
- Butch Wilmore
- Aleksandr Gorbunov
After the transition, Williams and Wilmore will finally return to Earth, but not before March 19.
NASA Praises Team Efforts
Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Manager, praised the teams for their dedication. “I am extremely proud of our NASA and SpaceX ground engineers and joint operations teams in quickly identifying and resolving issues. Their commitment to both excellence and safety is a true testament to the strength of this integrated team.”
In the meantime, NASA and SpaceX are closely monitoring the situation to ensure a safe and smooth return for Williams and Wilmore after their unexpectedly long mission.
