The Astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore has been at the International Space Station since June, though they were expected to stay in just eight days. But now, NASA can bring two astronauts home a few weeks before the expectation.
On Tuesday, Space agency said This is “speeding up the target launch and returning dates for the upcoming crew missions to and from the International Space Station.” Earlier plans were to restore astronauts in late March, but now the crew-10 group of agency astronauts may launch early on March 12. Roscosmos Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov can leave for Earth Sakay Crew -9.
The crew-10 mission will bring NASA's astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, pilot; Japan Aerospace's exploration agency Astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos Cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, mission specialist, on ISS.
Read more: NASA's first interactive stream shows how many astronauts love coffee
Record a spacewalk
But because their stay was expanded, Williams set a record. He went to a 5-hour, 26-minute Spacewalk with Wilmore, and on that walk, the note set by a woman for the time spent in spacewalks. According to Space.comWilliams now has 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalking, exceeding former astronaut Peggy Whitson, with 60 hours and 21 minutes.
In this latest spacewalk, the two worked to finally remove a faulty radio-communication unit, one that was not removed by astronauts in two previous spacewalks.
Williams had previously worked with Astronaut Nick Hague for a spacewalk in January 16th. In that Spacewalk, Williams and Hague replaced a rate of gyro assembly that helps maintain the orientation of the orbital outpost, NASA said. Astronauts also installed patches to cover damaged areas of light filters in Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer X-ray telescope, replaced a reflector device with one of the international docking adapters, and reviewed areas of access and connector tools that astronauts will use for future alpha magnetic spectrometer maintenance.
The Astronaut Suni Williams were seen outside the International Space Station during January 16, 2025, Spacewalk.
Trump and Musk
Astronauts are set to return home in March. But this may not be fast enough for President Donald Trump.
“I just asked Elon Musk and Spacex to 'go get' 2 brave astronauts who were almost abandoned in the space of the Biden administration,” Trump wrote in Truth Social, According to NPR. “Good luck Elon !!!”
Astronauts are far from abandoned. The delay was caused because NASA and Boeing engineers discovered spacecraft issues that brought the astronaut space, and chose to return that vehicle to the ground without a staff.
And it is unclear what Musk can do, as the two are set to fly home in a capsule made by his company, Spacex, and that capsule has already locked the ISS. So technically, astronauts can go home at any time, but it will leave space stations short staff and dangerous projects, says NPR. Two astronauts say that as they missed their families, They still have a job to keep them busy.
“Later we would like to go home,” Williams said to a Recent news conference. “We left our families for a while, but we have a lot to do here and we have to do those things before we go.”
'Living in space is so much fun'
But Williams and Wilmore are not complaining about their expanded stay.
“I like everything about being up here,” Williams said in early December. “Living in space is so much fun.”
Astronauts are constantly busy, with Williams and Wilmore helping other ISS residents in Space Botany Studies and other research, According to the ISS blog of NASA. They helped with more than 60 science studies in their nearly six months riding, The Washington Post report.
Here's what you need to know about what's in two astronauts.
Who are the astronauts?
Wilmore, 61, and Williams, 58, are veterans astronauts and both Naval officials and former trial pilots. Williams has become an astronaut of NASA since 1998, and since 2000. Both have many experiences in space.
Williams is the former record holder for most of a woman's spacewalks (seven) and most of the time of spacewalk for a woman (50 hours, 40 minutes), and in 2007, she ran the first marathon of anyone man in space.
In 2009, Wilmore wrote the Space Shuttle Atlantis on its mission on ISS, and in 2014, he was part of the ISS Crew to use a 3D printer to make a tool – a ratchet wrench – in space, for the first time man do something in the world.
What was their original mission in space?
Wilmore, as commander, and Williams, as a pilot, traveled to the ISS on a 15-foot-wide, Boeing-made capsule called starliner. They launched on June 5 and were docked with the ISS on June 6. NASA hopes that the starliner will give the organization a new way to get staff to and from the ISS, and the fact that this is done by Boeing is Another sign that NASA begins to lean to the private sector for human spaceflight options, the New York Times reported.
The mission of Wilmore and Williams should take just an eight days, where they will try aspects of the starliner and see how it operates with a human staff in space. But due to starliner complications, two astronauts are still there.
What do astronauts say?
Astronauts have been positive about their experience. In a Live News Conference In September, Williams said that despite their mission, they are set to last eight days, they are both “training for years” for it. They are fully qualified to stay in space for an extended period of time, and to help the pilot the spacecraft of the Spacex Dragon that will bring them home next year.
“It's very peaceful here,” Williams said on September 13, even when he added that they had missed their families in the world.
Astronauts are working on research, maintenance and data analysis in their expanded stay.
“We're having a great time here on ISS,” Williams said At a news conference held from orbit in July. “I'm not complaining. Butch doesn't complain that we're here for a couple of extra weeks.”
Wilmore and Williams responded to media questions in March.
How are they stuck in space in the first place?
The Starliner was delayed in May due to a problem with a rocket valve. Then the engineers need to fix a helium leak. That's just the bad news for Boeing. It is Competing with Spacexthat has been Bringing astronauts to ISS Since 2020, it has made more than 20 successful spaces to the space station.
Starliner finally launched, above an Atlas V rocket, on June 5, but some problems went with it. NASA has announced that Three helium leaks was identified, one of which was known before flight, and two new ones. In addition to the leaks, the crew will have to troubleshoot the failed control thrusters, even if the craft is successful in the Iss.
Spacex also had failures. A Falcon 9 rocket exploded At the Launchpad in 2016. In July of this year, a rocket of Falcon 9 experienced a liquid oxygen leakage and sent its satellites to the wrong orbit, the New York Times reported. And a rocket of Falcon 9 in late August lost a first-stage booster when it fell into the Atlantic and caught by fire.
But said that, Spacex has more than 300 successful Falcon 9 flight to its credit.
Stuck in Space: a timeline
- May: Starliner's launch was delayed due to a problem with a rocket valve, and then a helium leak.
- June 5: The starliner launches with Williams and Wilmore on board.
- June 6: Starliner ports with the ISS despite dealing with three helium leaks and control thrusters failed.
- September 6: The starliner left the ISS and lands in New Mexico, leaving Williams and Wilmore.
- September 28: The Spacex Crew-9 Mission launches with Hague and Gorbunov in a dragon spacecraft.
- September 29: Spacex Dragon docks with ISS.
- December 17: NASA announced the launch of four crew members to the ISS will be delayed from February to late March.
- March 2025 Passing: The Spacex Dragon Spacecraft will return to Earth with Williams, Wilmore, Hague and Gorbunov.
