NASA Astronauts Prepare for Return from ISS After Nine-Month Stay

After over nine months aboard the ISS, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are set to return to Earth. A SpaceX mission, involving a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, will facilitate their return, marking another successful collaboration between NASA and SpaceX in space exploration.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are nearing the end of their extended mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), preparing for a homecoming after spending more than nine months in orbit.

Nilesh M Desai, Director of the Space Applications Centre, outlined the mission's framework, emphasizing that NASA's ISS program conducts crew missions every six months. 'While cargo missions are routinely sent to the ISS, returning astronauts is only feasible under crew missions,' Desai explained.

On Friday, SpaceX, in collaboration with NASA, launched a Crew-10 mission via a Falcon 9 rocket, aimed at bringing Wilmore and Williams back to Earth. The mission underscores a robust partnership as the Dragon spacecraft ensures a seamless transition of crew aboard the ISS.

(With inputs from agencies.)