They departed on June 5, 2024, with the promise of spending eight days at the International Space Station (ISS) of NASA and then returning to solid ground. A helium leak in one of the Starliner capsule’s hatches, manufactured by Boeing Space, caused them to be stranded for over 9 months. Get to know the story of Sunita “Suni” Williams and Butch Wilmore, the astronauts stranded in space.
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They have been away for a total of 9 months and 11 days. Fortunately, they already have a return date, as the SpaceX and NASA Crew-10 mission arrived this Sunday with a new crew. They traveled with two empty seats so that Suni and Butch can return.
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According to what DW reports, the astronauts should begin their return home this Tuesday, March 18, but it has not yet been confirmed by official sources.
Who are Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore?
- Sunita Williams: space pioneer
Sunita Williams was born on September 19, 1965 and has roots in Gujarat, India. She graduated in Physical Sciences from the United States Naval Academy and obtained a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. With a distinguished career in the Navy, Williams was a pilot and combat helicopter instructor. In 2015, she set the record for the longest female mission in space, with 195 days, an achievement that would later be surpassed by Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.
- Butch Wilmore: a combat veteran
Barry Eugene “Butch” Wilmore was born on December 29, 1962 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science in Aviation from the University of Tennessee. Wilmore has extensive military experience, having served as a test pilot in the Navy’s F/A-18 squadron and participated in 21 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm, Desert Shield, and Southern Watch. In 2009, he completed the STS-129 mission aboard the space shuttle Atlantis, which also docked at the ISS.