Everything about Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore's nine-month-long Mission!

In a cold, dark, empty abyss, two astronauts from NASA, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, were marooned in Space for almost 9 months. Sunita Williams, an astronaut of Indian-Amercian descent and Butch Wilmore were expected to go on an 8-day space mission from June 5, 2024, to June 14, 2024. But in a dramatic turn of events, the pair was stranded at the ISS for 9 months.

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After spending more than 250+ days in space, both astronauts were rescued by the crew of SpaceX, Dragon aircraft Nick Hauge and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The four members left for Earth on 18th March 2025 and landed on Earth on March 19 2025, after a 15-hour journey. The crew landed or, more likely, ‘splashed’ down the coast of Florida around 3:30 am on 19th March. 

The pair of astronauts were stranded for almost nine months because of technical issues with the Boeing Starliner capsule. Their spacecraft was tampered with due to helium leaks, and thus, their arrival was delayed until today. Further delays occurred when the brand-new SpaceX Dragon capsule had battery issues. 

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s planned short-term mission to the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, originally intended as a test flight, was extended to over nine months due to two failed attempts to return to Earth caused by technical issues, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the events:

Initial Mission: Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were originally scheduled for an eight-day mission to the ISS as part of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft’s first crewed mission.

Starliner Issues: The Starliner spacecraft encountered problems, including thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, which led NASA to deem it unsafe for the return journey.

Failed Return Attempts: Two attempts to return to Earth were cancelled due to the Starliner’s issues.

Extended Stay: The astronauts’ stay on the ISS was extended, and they were integrated into the Crew-9 rotation.

Replacement Crew: The astronauts’ return was further delayed due to issues with the launch of their replacement mission, SpaceX’s Crew-10.

Final Return: They finally returned to Earth on 18 March 2025 aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after a nine-month stay on the ISS.

The mission became mired in controversy after President Donald Trump and his adviser Elon Musk, who is also CEO of SpaceX, claimed without evidence that former president Joe Biden had abandoned Williams and Wilmore on the station for political reasons. NASA and SpaceX prioritised safety over speed, choosing to delay the return until a new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule was ready.

NASA refurbished the Dragon capsule instead and scheduled Sunita’s and Butch’s return on 19th March 2025. The astronauts splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico, just off the Florida coast.

After being stranded for almost 9 months, unsure when they land on Earth again the entire world was overjoyed by their return. Because of Sunita William's Indian roots, the nation today is rejoicing in her return, with every Indian feeling proud and considering it as a testament to strength and resilience. Indian Leaders are praising her and bestowing honorary awards to her.