NASA confirms astronauts' return date to Earth, splashdown expected off Florida coast; Read
NASA has announced the return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who were stranded on the International Space Station (ISS), will return to Earth aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon on Tuesday (Mar 18) evening, with splashdown expected off the Florida coast.
FollowWashington DC: Two American astronauts who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months are scheduled to return to Earth on Tuesday evening, according to NASA. Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will make the journey back alongside another NASA astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which successfully docked with the ISS early Sunday.
The pair remained on the station far longer than planned due to technical problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which they had flown during its first crewed test mission. Propulsion system malfunctions left the capsule unfit for their return trip.
NASA confirms return of astronauts on March 18 with splashdown expected off the coast of Florida
In a statement released Sunday evening, NASA confirmed that the astronauts’ return had been moved up to Tuesday, with their ocean splashdown expected around 5:57 p.m. Eastern Time (2157 GMT) off the coast of Florida. The return had previously been scheduled no earlier than Wednesday.
"The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected for later in the week," the space agency said.
NASA said, " NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, are completing a long-duration science expedition aboard the orbiting laboratory and will return time-sensitive research to Earth."
"Mission managers will continue monitoring weather conditions in the area, as Dragon’s undocking depends on various factors, including spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors. NASA and SpaceX will confirm the specific splashdown location closer to the Crew-9 return," it added.
Also Read: The Promise of Return: Sunita Williams' Future Descent After Her Extended Mission Aboard the ISS
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