September 30th 2024.
Next up, the highly anticipated mission to bring two stranded astronauts back to Earth has safely arrived in space. NASA's Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stuck on the International Space Station since June, when it was deemed too risky to bring them home on their Boeing-built Starliner. Despite Boeing's insistence that the capsule was safe, NASA decided to err on the side of caution and return it to Earth empty.
The mission, known as Crew-9, finally launched on Saturday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, after a two-day delay caused by Hurricane Helene. Typically, under NASA's Commercial Crew Program, trips to and from the ISS would be at full capacity with four astronauts. However, this time, the outbound leg of the mission only carried two astronauts. The remaining two seats were reserved for Suni and Butch when Crew-9 returns to Earth.
On Sunday, the SpaceX capsule successfully docked onto the ISS, where Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams welcomed fellow astronauts Nick Hague and Alexander Gorbunov, along with the rest of the crew. Unfortunately, NASA's Stephanie Wilson and Zena Cardman had to be removed from the mission to make room for Suni and Butch's return journey. Zena, who was set to command the mission, expressed her bittersweet emotions, stating, "Handing the helm to Nick is both heartbreaking and an honor. Nick and Alex are an incredible team, and I have no doubt they will excel in this role. While I wish I could have flown alongside them, I am proud to be a part of this larger mission. Ad astra per aspera. Go Crew-9."
So what happens next for Suni and Butch? What was supposed to be a quick trip has now turned into a months-long ordeal. While the SpaceX mission arrived at the ISS this weekend, the return journey for the stranded astronauts won't take place until February 2025. According to CNN, the capsule successfully linked up with the ISS on Sunday, marking the beginning of another waiting period for Suni and Butch.
Despite the unexpected extended stay in space, both Suni and Butch remain positive and grateful for the extra time on board the ISS. When asked if the wait has been difficult, Butch replied, "I'm not going to fret over it. There's no benefit to doing so. My transition was almost instantaneous." Suni, who has missed some family events, added, "This is my happy place. I love being up here in space. It's just fun. Every day, even when we're working, we can do it upside down or sideways, which adds a unique perspective."
Even though they will have spent eight months in space, both astronauts remain thankful for the opportunity to push the boundaries and explore the unknown. Butch stated, "We are pushing the edges of the envelope in everything that we do. It's not an easy feat, but that's not why we do it. Maybe we do it because it's hard." Suni, who also served in the Navy, added, "We're used to deployments being changed. It's just part of the job." In the meantime, Suni and Butch will continue their work as part of the Expedition 71/72 crew.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
