Sunita “Sni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Willmore returned to Earth after nine months at the International Space Station (ISS).
Williams and Wilmore splattered in the Gulf of Mexico at 5:57pm on a SpaceX Dragon Capsule after a 17-hour return trip from the ISS.
Their returns mark the end of one of the recent unfamiliar chapters in SpaceFlight history, thanks to the problems experienced by Boeing Starliner and the way SpaceX CEO Elon Musk politicized the return of astronauts.
Williams and Wilmore first launched on the ISS in June 2024 as part of a mission essential to Boeing’s attempts to compete with SpaceX. Aviation Behemoth sent NASA astronauts to the ISS, noting that they won a contract alongside SpaceX in 2014 and would eventually move further into the solar system.
SpaceX made its first crew flight in 2020 with its crew dragon spacecraft. Meanwhile, Boeing’s Starliner project was dragged by cost overruns and delays.
The June 2024 flight was to allow Boeing to see it all. The goal was to send Williams and Wilmore to the ISS and return home after a short stay. However, Starliner experienced problems before docking to the ISS. After the astronauts finally got on, NASA and Boeing tested for several weeks before deciding to bring Starliner back.
NASA quickly began working with SpaceX on a plan to get Willams and Wilmore back. After the exchange, they decided to bring the duo home until early 2025 to wait so that the ISS doesn’t live short.
However, in recent months, Musk claimed that (without providing evidence) had previously offered to bring the astronaut home.
The former NASA administrator and the deputy manager under Biden both say the space agency is not aware of any offer. CNN reported Tuesday that senior White House officials also allegedly unaware of any offer.
Watch the team return to Earth:
This story has been updated to include a video of the astronaut returning.
Source link
