NASA has announced that the space mission of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams has been extended again, meaning they will not return to Earth until late March or April 2024. This marks an additional delay for the two astronauts, who had originally planned a short mission of only a week when they launched on June 5, 2023, aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule. However, their mission has continuously been extended, and they are now expected to spend nearly 10 months in orbit before coming back to Earth.
The initial plan was for the astronauts’ mission to last just eight days, but it was extended after the Starliner capsule faced several setbacks. NASA initially decided to delay the capsule’s return due to issues with the spacecraft, opting instead to send it back empty in September. This shift led to Wilmore and Williams being asked to remain on the International Space Station (ISS) much longer than originally intended.
NASA Extends Space Mission for Astronauts Wilmore and Williams, Delaying Return to Earth Until 2024NASA’s latest delay was caused by a scheduling issue with their replacement crew. A new crew of four astronauts was supposed to launch in February, which would have allowed for the return of Wilmore and Williams at the end of the month. However, due to delays in preparing a new SpaceX capsule for the mission, this launch has been pushed back, and now the mission is slated to launch no earlier than late March.
NASA explored the option of using a different SpaceX capsule to send up the replacement crew in order to keep the schedule on track. However, officials determined that waiting for the new capsule was the best option for the mission’s success. NASA prefers to have overlapping crews on the space station to ensure a smoother transition and handover of responsibilities.
Typically, missions to the International Space Station last about six months, with some extending up to a year. In this case, Wilmore and Williams are set to remain in space for nearly 10 months due to these delays, marking an exceptionally long mission. Their extended stay highlights the challenges of space travel and the intricacies involved in coordinating crew rotations and spacecraft readiness.