After an unexpected nine-month delay, NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally scheduled to return to Earth on Tuesday evening.
The two astronauts, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024, will be joined by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
The delay in their return was caused by propulsion issues during the maiden crewed voyage of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which Wilmore and Williams were testing last year.
The Starliner was deemed unfit for their return, leaving the astronauts stranded far beyond their originally planned short mission.
NASA announced on Sunday that the astronauts’ return has been moved forward to approximately 5:57 p.m. EDT (21:57 GMT) on Tuesday, citing favorable weather conditions off the Florida coast. The initial plan had been for a return no earlier than Wednesday.
“The updated return target allows the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected later in the week,” NASA said in a statement.
The journey home will be broadcast live, with coverage beginning Monday evening as preparations for hatch closure get underway.
For Wilmore and Williams, the return marks the end of an unplanned and challenging ordeal.
Originally scheduled for a brief mission, their stay on the ISS stretched to nine months—far exceeding the standard six-month rotation for ISS astronauts.
Their prolonged stay required additional supplies, including clothing and personal care items, as they had not packed for such an extended duration.
While their stay was significantly longer than planned, it falls short of the U.S. space record of 371 days set by NASA astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023 and the world record of 437 continuous days held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov aboard the Mir space station.
Despite the challenges, the astronauts’ resilience and the collaborative efforts of NASA, SpaceX, and international partners have ensured their safe return.
