Starliner Astronauts Will Return to Earth

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Starliner mission astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams are finally returning home after more than nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). What was initially planned as an eight-day mission was extended due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner capsule, but the POT has prepared the launch of the Crew 10 mission to facilitate their return.

Preparations for the Crew 10 Launch

Crew 10 is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, from the Kennedy Space Center. Led by Anne McClain, along with Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi, and Kirill Peskov, this mission will arrive at the ISS on Thursday to dock with the space laboratory. Once there, the new crew will relieve the Crew 9 astronauts, including Wilmore and Williams, who will return to Earth on March 16 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

Ayers and Peskov will make their space debut, taking their skills as military and commercial pilots to a whole new field.

An Extended Mission: The Starliner Astronauts

Wilmore and Williams launched on June 5, 2024, on the first crewed test flight of the Starliner capsule. However, problems with helium leaks and propulsion failures forced NASA to extend their stay. After months of analysis, the agency decided to return the astronauts in a different capsule, Crew 9's Crew Dragon, which was already on board the ISS with two seats reserved for them.

Despite being described by some as “stranded” or “abandoned,” both astronauts have emphasized their readiness and commitment. “We don’t feel trapped; we come prepared for any contingency,” Wilmore stated in a recent interview. Their military experience allowed them to adapt to this extension, actively contributing to station operations for more than 285 days.

Crew Rotation and Challenges on the ISS

The arrival of Crew 10 will help maintain the balance aboard the ISS, where tasks such as maintenance, scientific experiments, and spacewalks require a full crew. NASA reduced the transition period between crews to two days to preserve food supplies, a decision that highlights the complex logistics of these missions. Steve Stich, manager of the commercial crew program, praised Wilmore and Williams for doing a “phenomenal job” on the station.

Controversy and Resolution

The delay in the return of the Starliner astronauts drew political criticism, with figures such as President Trump and Elon Musk questioning the Biden administration's handling of the situation. Musk even offered to launch a rescue mission, though NASA never considered that option viable. Instead, the agency maintained a strategic plan since August 2024 to bring astronauts back without disrupting the crew rotation schedule.

With the launch of Crew 10, an unexpected chapter closes, one that tested the adaptability of astronauts and the coordination between Boeing and SpaceX.

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Fountain: CBS News