Elon Musk’s SpaceX to assist Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore: NASA reveals return date

After spending so long on board the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are now ready to head back to Earth. Their tour, which was originally supposed to be brief, became a 10-month-long affair owing to the continued technical problems with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. They will now head back home on board SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft.

NASA authorities have confirmed that SpaceX's Crew-10 mission is cleared to launch on March 12 at 7:48 PM EDT. Provided that everything unfolds as planned, Williams and Wilmore will embark on their journey back home on March 16. This mission constitutes yet another milestone in NASA's continued partnership with SpaceX aimed at ensuring safe and effective crew transportation.

Mission originally designed for 10 days

Sunita Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore had originally started their journey on Boeing's Starliner on June 5, 2024, for a short 10-day space trip. Unplanned delays were created owing to technical problems in the thrusters of the spacecraft. NASA and Boeing representatives carried out rigorous ground tests, which eventually made another return plan unavoidable.

Impact of launch delays on crew-9's return

In the event that Crew-10's mission is encountered with a hitch, the return schedule of the Crew-9 astronauts is also jeopardized. NASA stated that it requires at least a two-day handover period before Crew-10 may launch following Crew-9's departure. Any alteration to the existing launch schedule is sure to interfere with Williams and Wilmore's return.

Backup launch windows in place

NASA has also made backup plans in the event the Crew-10 launch is delayed. March 13 at 7:35 PM and March 14 at 7:04 PM standby launch opportunities have been booked. If these backup arrangements are called for, Crew-9's return would be rescheduled for March 17 or 18.

As NASA prepares for the long-awaited return of the astronauts, mission crews are tracking conditions to facilitate a safe and incident-free transition. The second SpaceX Dragon spacecraft flight will see Williams and Wilmore safely back home after their unexpectedly prolonged