Sunita Williams’s nine-month wait in space drags on as SpaceX scrubs return mission

The mission has been scrubbed reportedly due to ground system issue. NASA announced that the next available launch opportunity is no earlier than Thursday.

Williams and Wilmore were initially expected to stay at the ISS for only eight days, but their return has been repeatedly delayed. (Photo: NASA/Screenshot)

Sunita Williams’s long wait to return home from space continues as SpaceX scrubbed the expected launch of a replacement crew to the International Space Station (ISS), delaying her long-overdue journey back to Earth, news agency Reuters reported. Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore have been stuck in space for nine months after their trip aboard Boeing’s faulty Starliner.

NASA had planned to launch a SpaceX rocket from Florida carrying a new crew, a mission that would have paved the way for Williams and Wilmore’s return. However, the launch was called off due to a hydraulic system issue with a ground support clamp arm for the Falcon 9 rocket, NASA said in a statement.

NASA announced, as per Reuters, that it is now targeting a launch no earlier than 7:03 p.m. EDT (2303 GMT) Friday after mission managers put off a launch attempt on Thursday because of high winds and rain forecast in the flight path of Dragon. A successful Crew-10 launch would enable Crew-9, including Williams and Wilmore, to depart the ISS on March 17.

Story continues below this ad

Prolonged stay in space

Williams and Wilmore, both veteran astronauts and US Navy test pilots, were initially expected to stay at the ISS for only eight days, but their return has been repeatedly delayed.

Also Read: | Stranded NASA astronauts reveal things they will miss about space when they return to Earth

Starliner, the Boeing spacecraft that took them to the station in June 2024, suffered propulsion issues in space, making it too risky for their return. The two astronauts have remained engaged in research and maintenance activities alongside their ISS colleagues.

Speaking to reporters on March 4, Williams said she was eager to return home and reunite with her family and pet dogs. “It’s been a roller coaster for them, probably a little bit more so than for us,” Williams said, as per Reuters. “We’re here, we have a mission – we’re just doing what we do every day, and every day is interesting because we’re up in space and it’s a lot of fun.”

Awaiting Crew-10 arrival

Crew 10, from left, cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, astronaut Nichole Ayers, astronaut Anne McClain and JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi leave the Operations and Checkout building before heading to Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (AP photo)

Once the new crew arrives at the ISS, Williams, Wilmore, NASA astronaut Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will return to Earth aboard a capsule that has been docked since September as part of the Crew-9 mission. NASA has said that Williams and Wilmore must wait for the Crew-10 arrival to maintain the required number of US astronauts aboard the ISS for operational and maintenance needs.

Story continues below this ad

Boeing developed Starliner under a $4.5 billion contract with NASA to compete with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which has been the US space agency’s primary astronaut transport since 2020. However, Starliner’s development has been plagued by engineering issues and cost overruns since 2019.

(With inputs from Reuter)

First retrofitted A320 jet of Air India’s $400-million makeover plan ready

Business12 min ago

Air India’s first retrofitted Airbus A320 has been brought back into the airline’s operational fleet after a complete cabin refit in line with the Tata group carrier’s new product specifications and standards, and its new brand identity. The aircraft—VT-EXN—was a legacy jet from government ownership days and was sent for a complete makeover as part of the airline’s $400-million retrofit programme

View all shorts

Live Blog