Live Broadcast: Homecoming of Starliner Astronauts, Who Spent Nearly a Year Orbiting Earth due to Malfunction
Out-of-this-World Return:
Two NASA astronauts are prepped for a long-awaited homecoming after spending over nine months on the International Space Station (ISS), which was initially intended as a short week-long trip.
The space odyssey for Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore draws to an end on Tuesday, around 1:05 a.m. ET, with NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission. Initially, they launched on Boeing's Starliner CST-100 spacecraft on Jun 5, 2024. Unfortunately, the erratic Starliner was deemed unsuitable for their return, prompting them to embark back to Earth months beyond their original date, aboard a SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft.
Beginning Monday at 10:45 p.m. ET, live coverage will be available on NASA's website and NASA+. The live stream of Dragon's undocking procedure commences at 12:45 a.m. ET, and their splashdown is anticipated around 5:57 p.m. ET. Resume the coverage at 4:45 p.m. ET, followed by a press conference at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Starliner has been the center of attention for months due to various complications. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore marked history as the first crew to fly on board Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. The journey was far from smooth as the spacecraft confronted a series of malfunctions, five of its thrusters failing during its voyage to the ISS, and the empty vessel returned home.
NASA strategized an intricate plan to bring the crew back to Earth. The Crew-9 mission, launched by NASA on Sept 28, 2024, carried two astronauts—Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov— who docked at the ISS the following day. The empty seats aboard Crew-9 were reserved for Williams and Wilmore, intended to travel back alongside the Crew-9 astronauts in Feb.
However, the plan faced hurdles due to the delay in the launch of NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission, postponing the crew handover. This meant that Crew-9, alongside Williams and Wilmore, would not be able to depart the ISS until Crew-10 is stationed sometime in April. In response, NASA replaced the SpaceX crew spacecraft, launching its Crew-10 mission on Mar 12 to bring the Starliner astronauts back approximately two weeks earlier.
The decision to expedite the return might have been influenced by former President Donald Trump's supposed intervention. Upon assuming office, Trump asserted that he would orchestrate a rescue mission for the two astronauts. He reportedly urged SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk to "retrieve the two brave astronauts supposedly deserted in space by the Biden Administration," he declared on Truth Social.
Despite the politically charged rhetoric, the astronauts were neither stranded nor in need of rescue. Space station crew rotations can get intricate and costly, which is why the Starliner crew temporarily had to wait for a ride back to Earth. Regardless, we eagerly anticipate the return of these resilient cosmonauts after their extended space voyage.
Insights:- First Crew: Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were the first crew to fly on board Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.- Thruster Failures: Five thrusters failed, including a critical one for re-entry.- Helium Leaks: The spacecraft's propulsion system grappled with minor helium leaks.- Technical Issues: The spacecraft's ability to dock safely and the safety of human reentry were jeopardized by overheating, thruster failures, and helium leaks.
[1]: https://www.npr.org/2025/03/18/1187642507/nasa-astronauts-return-to-earth-after-over nine-months-on-space-station
- The astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who initially embarked on a mission to the International Space Station in June 2024 aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, will finally return to Earth in a SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft in 2025, after facing multiple challenges with the Starliner.
- Despite the spacecraft's encounter with significant technical issues, including overheating, thruster failures, and helium leaks, the Starliner marked history by being the first spacecraft to carry the crew of Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to the ISS.
- Remarkably, the Crew-9 mission, launched by NASA in September 2024, originally intended to carry two astronauts, Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, but was later reallocated to bring back Williams and Wilmore, thereby shortening their extended stay in space.
- The future of space travel is promising as NASA continues to grapple with challenges, prioritizing crew safety and successful mission execution, with the aim of launching the SpaceX Crew-10 mission in March 2025, ensuring a timely return for the astronauts who were initially stranded aboard the malfunctioning Starliner.
