NASA's 2 stuck astronauts face more time in space with return delayed until spring 2025

1 month ago 4

THIS ONE IS A SPECIAL CONNECTION. ONE OF THE THINGS I LIKE TO DO UP HERE IS SORT OF WRITE LIKE A LITTLE RECAP OF THE WEEK. THE ONLY THING MORE SURREAL THAN THIS NASA ARRANGED CHAT WITH CREW MEMBERS FLOATING BY IS THAT NEEDHAM NATIVE SUNITA WILLIAMS, SOON TO BE COMMANDER OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, IS A PEN PAL WITH A NEEDHAM KINDERGARTEN TEACHER AT THE SCHOOL WITH THE WILLIAMS NAME. SHE EMAILS EVERY SUNDAY TO HER FRIENDS AND FAMILY LIST. I THINK I WAS ON, YOU KNOW, WEEK 12 OF WRITING A JOURNAL TO SEND DOWN TO FOLKS I’VE BEEN ABLE TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH HER FAMILY. I WENT DOWN TO TWO OF HER LAUNCH ATTEMPTS. THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY IS OVER THE MOON, SONNY. THE FORMER NAVY PILOT, ARE LOCAL ASTRONAUT WHO COULDN’T RETURN ON THE MALFUNCTIONING BOEING STARLINER, IS THE FACE OF RESILIENCE IN THE SCHOOL HALL. HER ARTIFACTS ARE IN EVERY CORNER OF LEARNING. LOVE YOU GUYS. GO NEEDHAM ROCKETS. SHE HELPS THEM UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE OF SPACE AND OF SPACE TRAVEL. BUT SHE ALSO, YOU KNOW, SHARES STORIES ABOUT HER DOG AND ABOUT GROWING UP IN NEEDHAM. WE’LL FIND A BETTER PLACE TO PARK THE CAR NEXT TIME. SHE’S FUNNY AND DARE I SAY, DOWN TO EARTH. PLEASE REMIND YOUR KIDS OF THE PLANET THEY LIVE ON AND WHAT AN AMAZING PLACE IT IS. AND HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS. NEEDHAM STUDENTS LOVE HER LESSONS. IT REALLY IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO IMAGINE PEOPLE ON EARTH NOT GETTING ALONG TOGETHER. IT’S THE ONE PLANET WE HAVE. I REALLY COULD HAVE LISTENED TO HER FOREVER. SHE’S ON BOARD THERE WITH SEVEN OTHER CREW MEMBERS. HOUSTON IS WHERE SHE HAS HOME AND WORK RIGHT NOW, BUT WHEN SHE’S IN THIS AREA, SHE ALWAYS VISITS THE CAPE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT SHE SAID? SHE SAID, GO PATS AND SHE MISSES APPLE PICKING. SHE’S HOPING SOMEBODY CAN THROW ONE OF THOSE NEW ENGLAND APPLES ON ONE OF THE CRAFTS COMING HER WAY, AND WE WISH HER A SAFE RETURN AS SCHEDULED IN FE

NASA's 2 stuck astronauts face more time in space with return delayed until spring 2025

NASA’s two stuck astronauts just got their space mission extended again. That means they won’t be back on Earth until spring, 10 months after rocketing into orbit on Boeing’s Starliner capsule.NASA announced the latest delay in Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams' homecoming on Tuesday.The two test pilots planned on being away just a week or so when they blasted off June 5 on Boeing’s first astronaut flight to the International Space Station. Their mission grew from eight days to eight months after NASA decided to send the company’s problem-plagued Starliner capsule back empty in September.Now the pair won’t return until the end of March or even April because of a delay in launching their replacements, according to NASA.A fresh crew needs to launch before Wilmore and Williams can return and the next mission has been bumped more than a month, according to the space agency.NASA's next crew of four was supposed to launch in February, followed by Wilmore and Williams' return home by the end of that month alongside two other astronauts. But SpaceX needs more time to prepare the brand new capsule for liftoff. That launch is now scheduled for no earlier than late March.NASA said it considered using a different SpaceX capsule to fly up the replacement crew in order to keep the flights on schedule. But it decided the best option was to wait for the new capsule to transport the next crew.NASA prefers to have overlapping crews at the space station for a smoother transition, according to officials.Most space station missions last six months, with a few reaching a full year.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —

NASA’s two stuck astronauts just got their space mission extended again. That means they won’t be back on Earth until spring, 10 months after rocketing into orbit on Boeing’s Starliner capsule.

NASA announced the latest delay in Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams' homecoming on Tuesday.

The two test pilots planned on being away just a week or so when they blasted off June 5 on Boeing’s first astronaut flight to the International Space Station. Their mission grew from eight days to eight months after NASA decided to send the company’s problem-plagued Starliner capsule back empty in September.

Now the pair won’t return until the end of March or even April because of a delay in launching their replacements, according to NASA.

A fresh crew needs to launch before Wilmore and Williams can return and the next mission has been bumped more than a month, according to the space agency.

NASA's next crew of four was supposed to launch in February, followed by Wilmore and Williams' return home by the end of that month alongside two other astronauts. But SpaceX needs more time to prepare the brand new capsule for liftoff. That launch is now scheduled for no earlier than late March.

NASA said it considered using a different SpaceX capsule to fly up the replacement crew in order to keep the flights on schedule. But it decided the best option was to wait for the new capsule to transport the next crew.

NASA prefers to have overlapping crews at the space station for a smoother transition, according to officials.

Most space station missions last six months, with a few reaching a full year.

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