NASA delays astronaut Sunita Williams' return again; find out the reasons.
Sunita Williams will stay in space for approximately 10 months.
NASA has reported a new delay in the rescue mission for astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who are stranded in space. The duration of the mission has been extended from the initially planned eight days to over nine months. This additional time in orbit is necessary due to the postponement of SpaceX's Crew-10 mission, which was originally set to replace the Crew-9 team and return Williams and Wilmore to Earth in February 2025, but its launch has now been delayed until late March.
According to statements from the space agency, the Crew-9 mission, which includes astronauts Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, will return to our planet after the arrival of Crew-10 at the orbital station. This delay will allow NASA and SpaceX teams more time to finalize preparations for the new Dragon module for the mission.
As a result, Williams and Wilmore will remain in space for nearly ten months, instead of the initially planned eight days. Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, emphasized the importance of meticulous attention to the manufacturing, assembly, testing, and final integration of the new spacecraft. He acknowledged SpaceX's efforts to expand the Dragon fleet and the flexibility of the station team during this adjustment period.
NASA concluded that delaying the launch of Crew-10 until late March, once the new Dragon spacecraft is completed, is the best strategy to meet the mission's objectives in 2025. To provide context, the astronauts arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in June aboard Boeing's Starliner, which faced issues such as thruster failures and helium leaks, leading NASA to a crewless return. Williams and Wilmore stayed aboard the ISS while the agency adjusted its plans.
The Crew-9 mission, launched in September 2024, included two empty seats for their return. However, the Crew-10 mission, which was supposed to bring them home, has now been delayed until late March 2025 due to the time needed to prepare a new Dragon module. Despite their situation in space, Williams has chosen to keep the festive spirit alive and is already organizing a Christmas celebration. After the delivery of supplies and holiday gifts, Williams reflected on the unique experience of celebrating these holidays in space.
Recently, NASA shared a festive update featuring astronauts Don Pettit and Sunita Williams posing for a holiday portrait inside the ISS's Columbus laboratory while communicating via amateur radio. The agency also published photos of the crew wearing Santa hats and decorating the space station with Christmas themes.
