NASA astronauts return as Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams depart the International Space Station after a nine-month stay. The two boarded a SpaceX Dragon spaceship early Tuesday, marking the end of their protracted trip.
Technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule caused their mission, which was initially only scheduled to last a week, to be prolonged. Alongside them on the return journey are NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
Splashdown Expected Off Florida Coast
The SpaceX Dragon capsule undocked from the ISS around 1:05 a.m. ET. It then executed a series of controlled burns, moving away from the station before beginning its descent toward Earth.
NASA confirmed that the capsule is expected to complete its journey with a splashdown off the Florida coast at approximately 5:57 p.m. ET.
A Delayed But Successful Mission
Williams and Wilmore’s prolonged stay brought numerous challenges but also opportunities to contribute to ongoing research aboard the ISS.This further demonstrates the tenacity of humans in orbit and is a major turning point for NASA’s commercial crew program.
The original plan was to test Boeing’s Starliner capsule, but due to technical difficulties, they decided to spend more time on the ISS. The astronauts maintained a positive attitude and made significant contributions to science in spite of the delays.
And What Does NASA Have in Store?
Following the crew’s safe return, NASA will examine mission data to evaluate how well private spacecraft function in practical situations. These lessons will probably apply to future missions as NASA continues its deep-space exploration initiatives.
For more information on the splashdown and the astronauts’ recovery, return often.
Source: ABC News
