After nine months in space, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Barry Wilmore to return from ISS on this day

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are set to return to Earth on March 16 after being stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for nine months. Initially, the pair embarked on what was meant to be a 10-day mission aboard Boeing's Starliner, but technical failures extended their stay. NASA has now cleared a relief mission via SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, which will launch a crew to facilitate their return. 

The mission, which began on June 5, 2024, was intended to last just 10 days. However, the Starliner capsule encountered multiple failures, leading to an indefinite postponement of their return. In September, the Starliner returned to Earth without its crew, prompting NASA to make alternative arrangements. 

In response to the delayed return, NASA launched the SpaceX Crew-9 mission in August 2024. This mission included NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, with two seats onboard reserved for Wilmore and Williams. The Crew Dragon spacecraft was prepared to bring them back to Earth. 

NASA's ISS program manager, Dana Weigel, explained, "since Crew-9 was launching with two astronauts, it was sensible to accommodate Williams and Wilmore for the long-duration mission." 

The four astronauts were originally set to return in February. 

Meanwhile, NASA's Crew-10 mission is scheduled to launch on March 12 from Kennedy Space Centre. This mission will carry astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi, and Kirill Peskov. Due to delays in new spacecraft construction, the mission will utilise the Endurance capsule instead of a new Crew Dragon. 

NASA officials clarified that the swap to Endurance was in motion before any public comments, maintaining that such production delays are common. Steve Stitch, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, highlighted the routine nature of such logistical challenges. "NASA officials maintained that the decision was in motion before the public comments." 

The Crew-9 and Crew-10 missions, part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, leverage SpaceX's Crew Dragon to maintain ISS operations. These missions are crucial in addressing logistical difficulties and ensuring continued presence on the ISS.