The stranded NASA astronauts finally have a date scheduled to return to Earth after being stuck in space for months. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams originally were going to spend just eight days in space until their spaceship faced malfunctions.
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Now they've been stranded since last summer, but more than eight months later they will be able to come home. NASA announced that they're scheduling to launch the veteran astronauts back to Earth on March 12.
Stranded Astronauts Will Come Back Home This Spring
Back in September, their return ship docked at the International Space Station where the two had been stuck. Unfortunately, the duo had to wait longer to come home as NASA prepared the Crew 10 roster. They also planned the rescue mission for late March, but NASA has shortened the timeline to mid-March.
This altercation all began on June 5 last year when Wilmore and Williams flew to the ISS from the Boeing Starliner spaceship. After their spacecraft experienced faults, the two were unable to return home within the planned eight days.
Daily Mail reported that the capsule had numerous helium leaks and a few of the thrusters failed to work. Although a rescue mission seems simple on paper, NASA has been planning to save the astronauts for over half a year.
SpaceX Crew Dragon was scheduled to return to the ISS in September, but they would be unable to use it until March. Since the two became official members of NASA's Crew 9 mission, they must wait for Crew 10 to arrive.
Crew 10 was originally set to launch in February on the Crew Dragon capsule until SpaceX delayed its construction and testing. Now NASA and SpaceX have formulated a proper scheduled date for Crew 10 to arrive at the ISS.
The effects of being stranded in space for so long have already taken a toll on the astronauts. 59-year-old Williams told CBS that she's forgotten what it feels like to walk. Since the two have been stuck in microgravity for nearly a year, getting accustomed to Earth's gravity will be difficult.
Despite the difficult situation, the trapped astronauts have allegedly remained in good spirits. They claimed there's still a lot to do while they're on the ISS, as much as they miss home.
