NASA Astronauts' Return Delayed

(Reuters) – NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore's return to Earth will be further delayed until at least late March. After spending what was expected to be an eight-day stay on the International Space Station (ISS), their time on the ISS will exceed nine months.

The astronauts traveled to the ISS in June for a test mission, but their return was pushed back by eight months to February, after the Boeing Starliner capsule they arrived in was deemed unfit for the journey back.

NASA announced that Williams, Wilmore, fellow astronaut Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov would return to Earth following the Crew-10 mission, which is now expected to launch in late March and reach the station.

The exact date for the astronauts' return remains unspecified, as Hague and Gorbunov arrived at the ISS in September, over three months after Williams and Wilmore.

The agency described the overlap period as a chance for Crew-9 to share their experiences with the new crew, aiding in smoother transitions for ongoing science and maintenance at the facility. The Crew-10 mission, initially slated for February, was delayed to allow time for a new Dragon spacecraft to be completed for the launch.