NASA astronauts ready to return to Earth after nine-month journey in space

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunny Williams are finally returning to Earth after completing an eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) that was extended due to technical problems. They, along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, are returning to Earth in a SpaceX capsule.

They are expected to separate from the ISS at 05:05 GMT on March 18 and land off the coast of Florida at 21:57. To make the journey between them smooth and safe, the capsule must heat up to 1600°C as it reenters the atmosphere. During this process, the astronauts will have to endure extreme stress, as they will be subjected to four times the force of gravity on Earth. Finally, the capsule will make a soft landing in the ocean with the help of four parachutes.

The journey began in June 2024. On this mission, Butch and Sunny participated in the first test of the Starliner spacecraft developed by Boeing. However, due to technical problems during the flight, it was deemed unsafe for the astronauts to return home. The Starliner capsule also returned to Earth without a crew in September, which required the selection of a new capsule. So, NASA selected the SpaceX capsule, which flew to the ISS in September.

Due to problems with the Dragon capsule and the age of the crew, only two astronauts were left in the middle - Butch and Sunny. The SpaceX capsule is currently scheduled for a 6-month mission, extending its stay at the ISS until March 2025.

In addition, on March 16, a SpaceX capsule delivered a new crew to the International Space Station, including Anne McClain, Nicole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Now, Butch Wilmore, Sunny Williams, Nick Hague, and Alexander Gorbunov are expected to return to Earth.

This mission was a great experience for the astronauts, and their stay on the ISS laid the foundation for advanced space research that will be even more important and significant. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”