For more than nine months, astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have been stuck aboard the International Space Station (ISS). They were supposed to return to Earth in just over a week. Instead, a spacecraft malfunction turned their short mission into an extended stay—one that seemed to have no clear end in sight.
Now, at last, there’s hope.
Last Friday, NASA and SpaceX launched the Crew-10 mission, sending four new astronauts to the ISS aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. While the mission itself is a major step in space exploration, it carries an even greater purpose: paving the way for Sunita and Butch’s long-overdue return to Earth.
A Journey Gone Wrong
Back in June of last year, Sunita and Butch boarded Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for what was meant to be a routine mission. They were scheduled to spend just eight days in space. But then, the unexpected happened—technical issues with the Starliner left them stranded. Month after month, their return was postponed. Each delay came with new promises, yet no real solutions.
February was supposed to bring them home. But once again, they were told to wait.
As the months dragged on, their mission became more than a technical failure—it became a story of resilience, uncertainty, and, eventually, political controversy.
Science, Politics, and the Space Race
What should have been a straightforward rescue effort soon took a dramatic turn. Former U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk accused the Biden administration of deliberately delaying the astronauts’ return. They claimed the government refused to act quickly, leaving Sunita and Butch abandoned in space.
Musk, always known for his bold statements, hinted at hidden details but offered no real proof. Yet, his accusations were enough to spark debate, making the astronauts’ situation not just a NASA challenge but a political talking point.
A Fragile Partnership in Space
Despite growing tensions on Earth—especially with the ongoing war in Ukraine—space remains a rare area where the United States and Russia continue to work together. While American astronauts travel to the ISS on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, Russian cosmonauts still use the Soyuz spacecraft, launching from Kazakhstan.
Now, with Crew-10 safely at the ISS, the countdown begins. Sunita and Butch, along with fellow astronauts Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, are expected to return home in the coming days aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
After nine long months of waiting, the moment they’ve been hoping for is finally within reach.