Two Nasa astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, are just weeks away from their long-awaited return to Earth after spending an incredible nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Originally launched in June aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule, this mission marked the crew debut of the spacecraft, which had faced extensive delays prior to its launch.
Wilmore and Williams had anticipated a brief stay in space, expecting to return within a week. However, numerous complications with the Starliner’s journey to the ISS led Nasa to deem it unsafe for crew transport, resulting in the capsule flying back to Earth without any astronauts onboard. Further complicating their return was the need for additional time to prepare the new SpaceX capsule, which was intended to bring their replacements to the ISS.
Now, as they await the arrival of their successors next week, Wilmore and Williams are preparing for their own return later this month. They will be joined on their SpaceX flight back to Earth by two astronauts who launched solo in September, leaving two additional seats empty in the capsule.
During a recent news conference, Wilmore addressed the political context surrounding their return, emphasizing that while it is a part of life, it did not influence their upcoming departure. The timeline for their return was accelerated by a decision to utilize different SpaceX capsules. Notably, President Donald Trump and SpaceX’s Elon Musk expressed a desire to hasten the astronauts' return, attributing the previous delays to the prior administration.
Williams, however, voiced her concerns regarding Musk’s suggestion to decommission the ISS within two years, rather than adhering to Nasa’s projected deorbit date of 2031. She highlighted the vital scientific research being conducted on the space station, stating, “This place is ticking. It’s just really amazing, so I would say we’re actually in our prime right now. I would think that right now is probably not the right time to say quit, call it quits.”
As they prepare to return to Earth, Williams expressed her eagerness to reunite with her beloved Labrador retrievers. She acknowledged that the most challenging aspect of their extended stay has been the emotional strain on their families back home. “It’s been a roller coaster for them, probably a little bit more so than for us,” she remarked. “We’re here. We have a mission. We’re just doing what we do every day, and every day is interesting because we’re up in space, and it’s a lot of fun.”
In a recent development, Nasa announced that the next crew will launch in a previously used capsule, advancing the scheduled liftoff to March 12. This will allow both crews to spend about a week together on the ISS before Wilmore and Williams depart with Nasa’s Nick Hague and Russian Space Agency’s Alexander Gorbunov.
Wilmore and Williams, both retired Navy captains and experienced space fliers, have consistently assured the public of their health and commitment to the mission. They even undertook a spacewalk together in January, demonstrating their dedication to their work in orbit. For their return trip, they will wear generic SpaceX flight suits instead of the usual custom outfits that feature their names, as this homecoming was not planned. However, Wilmore humorously suggested he might use a pen to write his name on his suit. “We’re just Butch and Suni,” Williams responded. “Everybody knows who we are by now.”
