NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, 62, and Butch Wilmore, 59, have finally departed the International Space Station (ISS) after being stranded for over nine months due to technical failures in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
The duo undocked at 10:35 AM IST aboard SpaceX’s Dragon and are set to splash down off Florida’s coast around 3:27 AM IST on Wednesday, concluding a 17-hour journey back to Earth.
Unexpected Stay on ISS
Originally launching on June 5, 2024, for a brief test mission, their Starliner spacecraft suffered propulsion issues and was deemed unsafe for return. NASA reassigned them to the Crew-9 mission, which arrived in September to accommodate their extended stay.
Their return was only possible after the arrival of the Crew-10 mission on Sunday, ensuring ISS crew continuity.
Spaceflight Records & Human Challenges
Williams and Wilmore’s mission exceeded the usual six-month ISS rotation but ranks sixth in U.S. history. The record belongs to Frank Rubio (371 days, 2023), while Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov holds the world record at 437 days aboard Mir.
Extended space travel poses health risks, including balance issues, muscle loss, and vision impairment, which they will now undergo medical assessments for.
Political Controversy
Their prolonged stay sparked political clashes. U.S. President Donald Trump accused former President Joe Biden of abandoning the astronauts, while Elon Musk suggested he had offered an earlier “rescue mission” outside of routine crew rotations.
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