The space vehicle of SpaceX is now en route towards Earth with NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore who were held up at the International Space Station (ISS). The two astronauts will complete their journey to planet Earth at 3:27 am on Wednesday, according to Indian timings. Sunita Williams and three other astronauts undocked from the ISS this morning. This journey would, however, be a period of 17 hours for the astronauts before landing on Florida’s coast.
A week-long journey turned into nine months
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore flew to the International Space Station aboard Boeing’s spacecraft as part of NASA’s mission for a week stay. They de-boarded IT on 5 June 2024, last year, but due to some technical fault in the spaceship, both of them did not return. The mission was meant to span 10 days, only to become a wait of much more than 9 months for both.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore shared mission-related information and taught several key points to the four new astronauts who have arrived in their place. Both went to the ISS for a week nine months ago but the Starliner spacecraft malfunctioned and they were trapped there. They are now being brought back by SpaceX Dragon. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov will also return in the Dragon capsule. Steve Stich, associated with NASA, said that Butch and Sunita have done a great job and we are excited to bring them back.
