Sunita Williams’s return: From Starliner snag to SpaceX Splashdown – A 9-month space legend
It all started last June when their Boeing Starliner was in trouble, forcing NASA to leave the spacecraft empty. Wilmore and Williams were trapped on the International Space Station (ISS) until SpaceX stepped in to bring them back. Even if it’s smooth – SpaceX capsule issues cause another delay.
But on Tuesday night, their SpaceX capsules spilled safely in the Gulf of Mexico near Tallahassee. The astronauts were smiling and waving, and soon afterwards appeared – the mission was completed!
This is the 9-month Space Odyssey schedule;
June 5, 2024
Starliner was launched by Cape Canaveral on the Joint Launch Alliance Atlas V Rocket.
The Crew Flight Test (CFT) is designed to evaluate the capabilities of Starliner before conventional astronaut transport certification.June 6, 2024
Starliner’s thruster failure delayed docking with the ISS.
Four out of five failed thrusters have been restored, thus successfully making a second attempt.
June 18, 2024
NASA has delayed Starliner’s returns to address helium leakage and other technical issues.
The delay extended Wilmore and Williams’ stay beyond the original 10-day plan.
July 2, 2024
NASA extended the task beyond the initial 45-day limit to further evaluate Starliner’s performance.
August 24, 2024
NASA confirmed that Starliner would return to Earth without astronauts.
Wilmore and Williams plan to return via Crew-9’s SpaceX Dragon capsule.
August 30, 2024
NASA adjusted the list of crew members of the No. 9 to retain two seats for Wilmore and Williams.
September 22, 2024
Sunita Williams assumed the command of the ISS after Russian astronaut Oleg Kononenko left.
September 28, 2024
The Crew-9 is launched on the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket along with astronauts Nick Hague (NASA) and Aleksandr Gorbunov (Roscosmos).
The return of Wilmore and Williams retained two seats.
November 12, 2024
Williams resolved her concerns about her health, confirming her health and stability.
December 17, 2024
NASA delayed the return of Crew-9 in March 2025 after delays from the Crew-10’s New Dragon spacecraft.
January 30, 2025
Williams and Wilmore had a 5.5-hour space walk, setting a record for the most accumulated EVA era for female astronauts.
February 11, 2025
NASA selected the Dragon Capsule for Endurance Flying, which boosted the launch of the Crew-10.
March 14, 2025
The Crew-10 was launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (NASA) to get the Crew-9’s departure.
March 18, 2025 (India March 19)
Crew 9’s Dragon Capsule, Free, is not offset from the International Space Station at 1:05 am ET.
The capsule splashed off the Florida coast at 5:57 pm ET successfully ended the expansion mission.
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