Janice R. Andrews
After an extended nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are preparing to return to Earth. Their journey back marks the culmination of a significant chapter in space exploration, as they have been integral to ongoing research and operations on the ISS.
Nilesh M Desai, Director of the Space Applications Centre (SAC), shed light on the return process, explaining that crew missions, like the one Wilmore and Williams are part of, are typically sent every six months under NASA’s ISS program. “The 10th crew mission has arrived, and they will return after over nine months,” Desai stated. He emphasized the difference between crew missions and cargo missions, noting that while cargo missions are frequent, only crew missions have the capability to bring astronauts back to Earth.
The return journey began with SpaceX and NASA launching the Crew-10 mission on Friday. A Falcon 9 rocket carried the Dragon spacecraft, which successfully lifted off at 7:03 ET. This mission is part of NASA’s broader efforts to ensure the safe return of astronauts from the ISS. Earlier, another SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked with the ISS, delivering a new crew, including NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
Upon their return, Wilmore and Williams will join the growing list of astronauts who have contributed to the ISS’s mission of advancing scientific knowledge and international collaboration in space. Their safe return underscores the continued success of NASA and SpaceX’s partnership in human spaceflight. As the ISS crew prepares for a handover, the station will temporarily host 11 astronauts before Crew-9 members return to Earth, marking another milestone in space exploration.
