CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA has announced yet another extension of the mission for astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, meaning they are now expected to remain in space until at least the spring, marking nearly 10 months since they launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule.
The space agency revealed this latest postponement regarding the duo’s return on Tuesday
Initially, when they took off on June 5 for Boeing’s maiden astronaut mission to the International Space Station, the plan was for Wilmore and Williams to be in orbit for just a week. However, following complications with the Starliner capsule that necessitated an empty return in September, their mission duration has extended from eight days to an astonishing eight months.
According to NASA, the astronauts will now remain in orbit until late March or even April, as their replacements will not be ready for launch in time.
A new crew must be sent to the space station before Williams and Wilmore can come back to Earth. The scheduled launch of this next mission has experienced a delay of over a month, pushing it from February to no earlier than late March due to additional necessary preparation for a new SpaceX capsule.
Although NASA contemplated using an alternative SpaceX capsule to expedite the arrival of the replacement crew, the agency ultimately decided to wait for the new capsule. Officials prefer to have an overlapping crew on the space station, which allows for a smoother transition between outgoing and incoming astronauts.
Typically, missions to the International Space Station last about six months, though some can extend to a full year, further highlighting the unique situation these astronauts find themselves in.
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