After an unexpected 274-day stay in space, astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally set to return to Earth. The duo, who initially launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule for what was supposed to be a short mission, found themselves stranded due to multiple technical delays. Their long-awaited return comes weeks after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk vowed to bring them back, but there’s a catch—they must wait for their replacements to arrive at the International Space Station before they can leave. Throughout their extended stay, Williams and Wilmore have insisted they are in good health, but concerns have grown over the impact of prolonged space travel on their well-being. Their unexpected space odyssey, which lasted nearly ten months instead of a few days, has raised questions about space mission planning and the reliability of new spacecraft.
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