NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally set to return to Earth on Tuesday evening, after being stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for more than nine months.
They will be joined by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which arrived at the ISS early Sunday, according to The Guardian.
The unexpected delay in their return stems from propulsion issues encountered during the maiden crewed voyage of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which Wilmore and Williams were testing in June 2024.
The spacecraft was deemed unfit to bring them back, leaving the duo stranded far longer than their originally planned days-long mission.
NASA announced Sunday evening that the astronauts’ return had been moved forward to approximately 5:57 p.m. EDT (21:57 GMT) on Tuesday, citing favorable weather conditions off the Florida coast. The initial plan had been for a return not earlier than Wednesday.
“The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected for later in the week,” NASA said in a statement.
The journey home will be broadcast live, with coverage beginning Monday evening as preparations for hatch closure get underway.
For Wilmore and Williams, the return marks the end of an unplanned and challenging ordeal. Originally scheduled for a short roundtrip, their mission stretched into a nine-month stay—far exceeding the standard six-month rotation for ISS astronauts.
Their prolonged stay required additional supplies, including clothing and personal care items, as they had not packed for such an extended duration.
According to the report; while their stay was significantly longer than planned, it falls short of the U.S. space record of 371 days set by NASA astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023 and the world record of 437 continuous days held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov aboard the Mir space station.
Despite the challenges, the astronauts’ resilience and the collaborative efforts of NASA, SpaceX, and international partners have ensured their safe return.
