SpaceX Successfully Launches Rocket to Bring Home Stranded Astronauts

Sun Sep 14 2025 09:40:54 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

SpaceX's recent rocket launch marks the beginning of a crew rotation at the International Space Station, aiming to return astronauts who extended their mission due to technical challenges.

After an extended nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) resulting from unforeseen technical issues, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are set to return to Earth. SpaceX successfully launched a new crew to relieve them, which includes astronauts from multiple countries. Originally, Wilmore and Williams were only meant to stay for eight days, but issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft forced them to remain for several months. NASA has emphasized that the astronauts' safety was paramount in the decision to delay their return and use SpaceX’s Dragon capsule instead. As weather conditions are assessed for their safe re-entry, both Wilmore and Williams expressed their fondness for their extended time in space but acknowledged the personal sacrifices involved with missing family milestones during their unexpected long mission.

SpaceX's Endeavor: The Return Journey of Stranded Astronauts Unfolds

SpaceX has launched a new crew to the ISS as homebound astronauts Wilmore and Williams prep for their return after an extended nine-month mission.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, originally slated for an eight-day excursion aboard the International Space Station (ISS), are finally on the cusp of returning home after being stranded for more than nine months due to significant technical challenges with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft they arrived on. In a recent launch, SpaceX sent a new crew to the ISS to facilitate their homecoming. Wilmore and Williams, along with their fellow astronauts, will undergo a two-day handover period, though any further delays might be influenced by Earth’s weather conditions, according to ISS program manager, Dana Weigel. Noteworthy, both astronauts have publicly cherished their time in space, yet experts highlight the personal costs associated with their unexpectedly prolonged mission, emphasizing the disruptions to family life and milestones missed. NASA has reassured the astronauts' well-being was at the forefront of their decisions regarding the delayed return.