‘Homecoming’: NASA’s Sunita Williams prepares for re-entry as Crew Dragon readies for departure
Produced by Tarun Mishra
Produced by Tarun Mishra
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been on the International Space Station (ISS) since September 2023, are now set to return earlier than initially planned. Their prolonged mission was due to delays with Boeing’s Starliner capsule.
NASA originally scheduled their return for late March or April. However, a revised plan announced on 11 February will allow them to come back by mid-March using a SpaceX Dragon capsule, cutting their extended stay by a few weeks.
Crew-9 members recently participated in a re-entry simulation to ensure they are prepared for a safe descent. They used computer models to practise landing procedures ahead of their journey back to Earth.
NASA and SpaceX decided to swap the Dragon capsules assigned for upcoming missions. This change will see Wilmore and Williams return on an older capsule, while the new one undergoes additional preparation.
The capsule initially meant for their return was reassigned from a private mission organised by Axiom Space. This mission, which includes astronauts from Poland, Hungary, and India, has now been postponed.
NASA follows a protocol of ensuring a new crew arrives before the current one departs. Crew-10, which includes astronauts from NASA, Japan, and Russia, is scheduled for launch on 12 March to replace the outgoing team.
NASA announced efforts to bring Wilmore and Williams back "expeditiously" just two weeks ago. The decision follows logistical challenges with the Starliner mission and ongoing coordination with SpaceX to manage astronaut rotations.
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