Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally coming home after an eight-day test flight turned into a nine-month stay onboard the International Space Station, and NASA officials affirmed on March 7 that the extended stay was the best possible option.
This is what NASA wanted and what fit their plans, Steve Stich, manager of the Commercial Crew program said, adding that the plan allowed them to utilize Wilmore and Williams “in a very productive manner” on the space station and ensure “a seamless integration to keep the science going,”
In June 2024, the two astronauts were first to fly the Boeing CST-100 Starliner, but technical issues caused them to take refuge in the station while the Starliner returned home….