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Stuck NASA Astronauts Plan for Return to Earth This Week

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WSJ

Mar 17, 2025 10:28 AM IST

SpaceX delivered a four-person crew to the International Space Station early Sunday, setting the stage for Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams to depart.

Two NASA astronauts stuck on the International Space Station since last summer are poised to return to Earth after SpaceX delivered a replacement crew to the facility.

In this screenshot from a NASA video shows Suni Williams and other astronauts greeting each other after the SpaceX capsule docked with the International Space Station, Sunday, March 16(NASA) PREMIUM

In this screenshot from a NASA video shows Suni Williams and other astronauts greeting each other after the SpaceX capsule docked with the International Space Station, Sunday, March 16(NASA)

A SpaceX capsule carrying two American astronauts, a Japanese astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut docked at the orbiting research laboratory just after midnight ET Sunday, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The crew entered the facility about 90 minutes later.

The Elon Musk-led company launched the crew Friday evening from a site in Florida.

What happens next?

The arrival of the fresh quartet sets the stage for four others on board—including Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, the astronauts who have been unexpectedly posted up at the ISS for more than nine months—to fly home.

NASA officials have said the return trip with Wilmore and Williams could begin as soon as Wednesday.

SpaceX will also handle that operation. The spacecraft the company will use for the trip arrived at the station back in September with two astronauts on board, instead of the usual cohort of four, leaving more space for Wilmore and Williams.

Why is there so much attention on Wilmore and Williams?

Wilmore and Williams were thrust into the spotlight last summer when Butch and Suni, as the pair are often called, traveled to the ISS on Boeing’s Starliner, testing the spacecraft’s capabilities with people on board for the very first time. They were initially expected to spend roughly eight days at the ISS.

While Starliner took them to the station, the vehicle ran into problems in its propulsion system, prompting weeks of internal debate at NASA about whether the spacecraft was safe enough to carry them back to Earth.

Boeing maintained the vehicle was ready for that operation, but NASA officials decided to keep the pair on the station and bring them back with SpaceX during a regular crew-rotation flight.

What have Wilmore and Williams said about their situation?

Both are experienced astronauts who traveled to the space station before their current trip, and have maintained an even-keeled outlook on their extended stay.

“Being in space is just pretty spectacular,” Williams said during a recent briefing with reporters.

The most difficult part of the situation is for family members and other supporters on the ground, waiting for them to come back, she said.

Wilmore said both he and Williams were ready to fly back to Earth in the manner NASA teams thought best.

“Had they said to return on Starliner, then we would have been happy to return on Starliner. That was not the case,” Wilmore said at the briefing.

Why does NASA want two different U.S. spacecraft for ISS missions?

NASA wants two American spacecraft available to conduct flights to and from the ISS. That way, the agency could have a backup option in place, helping to ensure continuous access for astronauts to and from the facility.

The goal is still elusive: SpaceX is the only U.S. company certified for regular missions.

SpaceX has now delivered 11 crews to the station using its Crew Dragon vehicles following the latest operation.

Boeing’s Starliner has made one trip with astronauts—Williams and Wilmore—and doesn’t have final signoff for regular flights.

The new group who just arrived consists of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Kirill Peskov from the Russian space agency.

Write to Micah Maidenberg at micah.maidenberg@wsj.com

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