Overview of the American astronaut returning home after 9 months 'stuck' in space

Crew - 10 includes 2 female NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, 1 Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi (right) and 1 Russian astronaut, Kirill Peskov. Photo: NASA .

Early on the morning of March 16, the International Space Station (ISS) welcomed a new crew on SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, paving the way for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were "stuck" on the station, to return to Earth. The two astronauts' trip was supposed to last only 8 days but turned into 9 months.

It is expected that after docking at the ISS, the two stranded astronauts and two other colleagues will depart for Earth on March 19 on SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft.

According to SpaceX's website, the Dragon spacecraft docked with the ISS at 00:04 (New York time), about 29 hours after the company's Falcon 9 rocket launched the spacecraft and its crew from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The resupply team includes Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers (NASA), Takuya Onishi (Japan) and Kirill Peskov (Russia). NASA wants to give the two crews time to hand off before Williams and Wilmore, along with astronauts Nick Hague (NASA) and Aleksandr Gorbunov (Russia), leave the station next week. If weather permits, they will land in the ocean off Florida.

Astronauts Suni Williams (right) and Butch Wilmore at the International Space Station, June 13, 2024. Photo: NASA.

Williams and Wilmore arrived at the ISS on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024, on a mission to test the spacecraft. However, NASA discovered several serious problems, including a helium leak and a thruster failure, making the spacecraft unsafe to return them.

In September 2024, NASA decided to send the Starliner back to Earth, leaving the two astronauts to wait for a replacement flight. The original launch was scheduled for February 2025, but battery problems on SpaceX’s new spacecraft delayed the schedule. To shorten the time, SpaceX used an older spacecraft, which helped speed up their return to mid-March.

The extended mission has drawn international attention and become a point of contention as President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk have accused the Biden administration of abandoning the astronauts for political purposes. Williams and Wilmore have denied the claims and said they fully support NASA's decisions.

Despite being stuck longer than expected, the two astronauts continued to actively support tasks on the station, including repairing toilets, tending plants, conducting experiments, and performing a spacewalk. Williams even set a new record for the longest total spacewalk by a female astronaut.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Photo: NASA.

A last-minute hydraulic issue forced SpaceX to postpone its initial launch on March 12. One of the Falcon launcher’s two clamping arms failed to tilt out at the right time, forcing SpaceX to bleed the hydraulic system to clear trapped air before it could successfully launch on March 15.

Before returning to Earth, astronaut Williams shared his desire to reunite with his family and two dogs, while astronaut Wilmore, a pastor, also expressed his eagerness to return to preaching in person.

“This mission has attracted a lot of public attention and mixed opinions. However, the good news is that more and more people are interested in space exploration ,” Williams shared.

The Crew-10 crew is expected to stay on the ISS until the fall, conducting a range of scientific studies, including research on lunar navigation, the combustibility of materials and the human body's response to space.