American astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will return to Earth on Wednesday after the longest-ever unscheduled stay in space. The astronauts had travelled to the International Space Station (ISS) in June last year and were supposed to return in a week. However, the space vehicle that had taken them there, a Boeing spacecraft called Starliner, developed problems after which it was considered unsafe for the astronauts’ return.
While Starliner itself returned safely to Earth in September 2024, the two astronauts were stranded on the ISS, waiting for an alternative travel arrangement. Now, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which carried four astronauts to the ISS on a routine assignment, is bringing back Williams and Wilmore on its return journey. Two other astronauts, Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, who have completed their time on the ISS, are also returning with Williams and Wilmore.
