A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule is set to bring back NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore on earth next year, who have been stranded on International Space Station for more than two months.
Nasa confirmed the return of the astronauts in a news conference on Saturday after the agency held a formal review of the situation which was caused due to issues in the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which took the astronauts to space earlier in June.
According to agency officials, a poll conducted among NASA representatives from various departments, research facilities, and development centers leading to a mutual agreement.
A NASA representative named Nelson on Saturday noted, “We have had mistakes done in the past: We lost two space shuttles as a result of there not being a culture in which information could come forward.”
“Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and even at its most routine. And a test flight, by nature, is neither safe, nor routine,” he added.
As per the reports, SpaceX was originally scheduled to conduct a routine mission to the International Space Station (ISS), sending four astronauts as part of the regular crew rotations.
However, the mission, named Crew-9, will now be adjusted to carry only two astronauts, creating space for Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore on their way back to earth.
The pair will also integrate into the Crew-9 team, becoming part of the official ISS expedition for an additional six-month stay.
As a result of this reassignment, Williams and Wilmore’s return is now scheduled for no earlier than February 2025.
Nelson further noted that he is “100%” sure Boeing will address the issues and set up Starliner for another crewed mission at some point in the future.
