The NASA astronauts who’ve remained in area for months longer than deliberate are lastly headed again to Earth.
Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams carried out the primary astronaut-crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule to the Worldwide Area Station (ISS) in June 2024.
Nonetheless, what was imagined to be a mission lasting about one week become a nine-month keep aboard the ISS resulting from a number of points with Starliner.
Points with the spacecraft prompted NASA and Boeing to ship Starliner again to Earth uncrewed and preserve Wilmore and Williams onboard the ISS till early 2025, after they would return residence on a SpaceX Crew-9 Dragon spacecraft as soon as Crew-10 arrived on the ISS.
SpaceX Crew-9 is lastly set to undock within the early hours of Tuesday, March 18, and deorbit within the afternoon, returning to Earth in the evening.
This is a timeline of the Starliner mission:
Boeing Crew Flight Take a look at astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams pose for a portrait contained in the vestibule between the ahead port on the Worldwide Area Station’s Concord module and Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, June 13, 2024.
NASA by way of AP, FILES
April 2, 2024
NASA officers say the target date for the Boeing Starliner’s first crewed flight test is not any sooner than Might 6.
Might 6, 2024
Starliner’s first tried launch is scrubbed after a problem with an oxygen valve is discovered on the rocket that launches the spacecraft into orbit.
Might 7, 2024
NASA, Boeing and United Launch Alliance Starliner rocket – say they’re focusing on a launch date no earlier than May 10.
Might 14, 2024
Officers say a brand new strain regulation valve has been changed and examined efficiently, and that the new Starliner launch target date will probably be no sooner than Might 21.
Might 23, 2024
NASA declares a brand new goal Starliner launch date of June 1. A launch date had been set for Might 25 however a small helium leak was found within the service module, which incorporates help methods and devices for working a spacecraft.
June 1, 2024
Officers scrub Starliner’s launch only a few minutes earlier than liftoff resulting from a pc floor launch sequencer not loading correctly. A backup date of June 2 is also canceled.
June 2, 2024
NASA and Boeing officers say they’re targeting a June 5 launch date for Starliner.
June 5, 2024
After a number of delays, Starliner launches, lifting off at 10:52 a.m. ET from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Area Pressure Station Wilmore and Williams are scheduled to return to Earth aboard Starliner on June 14.
Boeing’s Starliner capsule atop an Atlas V rocket lifts off from the launch pad at Area Launch Complicated 41 in Cape Canaveral, Fla., June 5, 2024, carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the Worldwide Area Station.
Chris O’Meara/AP, FILES
June 6, 2024
Starliner efficiently docks on the ISS after helium leaks and a thruster concern threatened to delay the docking.
June 11, 2024
NASA says Starliner has 5 “small” helium leaks and that the astronauts’ ISS mission will probably be prolonged to June 18, pending climate and Starliner’s readiness to return them residence.
June 14, 2024
NASA and Boeing announce they are targeting June 22 for Starliner’s crewed return to Earth.
June 18, 2024
NASA delays the astronauts’ return until June 26 whereas the group troubleshoots a few of Starliner’s points, together with the helium leaks and thruster failures.
June 21, 2024
The astronauts’ return date is canceled again resulting from conflicts with beforehand deliberate spacewalks. Mission officers proceed to assessment Starliner knowledge.
June 28, 2024
NASA and Boeing officers say during a press conference that further testing is being performed on the spacecraft’s propulsion system earlier than Starliner may be undocked.
July 10, 2024
Wilmore and Williams say they really feel “assured” Starliner can carry them residence safely.
Aug 7, 2024
Throughout a press convention, NASA officers say Wilmore and Williams might have to return residence on a spacecraft apart from Starliner.
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, each Expedition 71 Flight Engineers, make pizza aboard the Worldwide Area Station’s galley situated contained in the Unity module, Sept. 9, 2024.
NASA by way of AP, FILES
Aug. 24, 2024
NASA officers affirm that the astronauts must return residence on a distinct spacecraft in 2025 and that Starliner will return to Earth uncrewed.
Aug. 29, 2024
NASA and Boeing officers say they will proceed with undocking Starliner no sooner than the night of Sept. 6.
Sept. 7, 2024
Starliner lands uncrewed at White Sands Area Harbor in New Mexico.
Sept. 13, 2024
Throughout a press convention, Wilmore and Williams say they do not really feel “let down” by not returning on Boeing’s Starliner or by the delay of their mission.
March 12, 2024
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission is canceled lower than 45 minutes earlier than liftoff resulting from a hydraulic system concern.
The NASA SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket, that can carry the NASA’s Crew-10, is seen docked on the Kennedy Area Heart Launch Complicated 39A as a part of its launch preparations at NASA’s Kennedy Area Heart, in Titusville, Fla., March 12, 2025.
Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA by way of Shutterstock
March 14, 2024
Members of the Crew-10 mission successfully launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from the Kennedy Area Heart in Florida.
March 16, 2024
Crew-10 efficiently docks on the ISS, bringing 4 new astronauts to work on the floating lab and setting up the return to Earth of Wilmore and Williams, in addition to one other NASA astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut.
ABC Information’ Religion Abubey, Matthew Glasser, Leah Sarnoff and Gina Sunseri contributed to this report.
