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Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams have spent an incredible nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to the challenges faced during Boeing’s Starliner mission. The good news? Their rescue rocket has finally been launched, bringing a sigh of relief.
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A Successful Launch for Crew-10
NASA has successfully launched its Crew-10 mission, marking a significant moment for U.S. astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been living in space for the past nine months. This mission finally paves the way for their long-awaited return to Earth.
The Falcon 9 rocket took off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:04 p.m. EDT on Friday, March 14, as part of a routine rotation to ensure the ISS is well-staffed.
Who Is Aboard the Dragon Capsule?
Onboard the Dragon capsule, four talented astronauts are making their way to the ISS:
- Nichole Ayers (NASA)
- Anne McClain (NASA)
- Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos)
- Takuya Onishi (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency)
If all goes well, the capsule is expected to dock at the ISS around 11:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, March 15.
Wilmore and Williams' Unexpected Extended Stay
Wilmore and Williams originally arrived at the ISS during Boeing's first Starliner Crew Test Flight, which launched on June 5, 2024. Unfortunately, shortly after entering orbit, they encountered several technical problems, including helium leaks and issues with the reaction control system thrusters.
This unexpected turn of events led to a mission that was intended to last just eight days extending beyond two months, before NASA ultimately decided to abandon it on August 24. The Starliner capsule returned to Earth on September 6, leaving without a crew.
While waiting for Crew-10 to arrive, Wilmore and Williams have been diligently taking care of maintenance tasks and engaging in scientific research.
Their time in space has been mostly safe, but it hasn’t been without its moments of concern. On June 27, a defunct Russian satellite broke apart in orbit, sending debris their way and prompting a precautionary sheltering in their respective space capsules along with the other astronauts onboard.
Preparing for the Journey Back to Earth
Following a handover ceremony from Crew-9 to Crew-10, Wilmore and Williams, along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos's Aleksandr Gorbunov, will be journeying back home aboard the docked Crew-9 capsule on March 19. Their total time in space will be nearly 300 consecutive days. While this doesn’t quite reach the record of 437 days held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov since 1995, it’s still an impressive stretch.
Tonight’s launch was the third attempt to get the Crew-10 mission off the ground. The first try on Wednesday, March 12, was scrubbed due to a hydraulic system issue, and the second on Thursday, March 13, was postponed due to high winds and bad weather along the rocket’s flight path.
Wilmore’s Reflection on Their Time in Space
Reflecting on their experience, Wilmore shared during a news conference from the ISS on March 4:
“We came up prepared to stay long, even though we planned to stay short. That's what we do in human spaceflight. Planning for unknown, unexpected contingencies is at the heart of your nation's human spaceflight program, and we did just that.”