After being stuck in space for nearly 8 months due to technical malfunctions, NASA's astronauts are finally receiving some good news! These brave space explorers, who embarked on their mission back in June 2024, had their return delayed indefinitely. But now, NASA has just revealed a hopeful update on their return to Earth. Could they be coming home sooner than expected? Find out all the details below! 🚀🌍
NASA Announces Exciting Update for Astronauts Trapped in Space for 8 Months
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In June 2024, two NASA astronauts embarked on an eight-day space mission.
Their landing on the International Space Station (ISS) was successful, and they completed their assigned tasks. However, when it came time to return to Earth, an issue was detected with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. This malfunction delayed their return, and as a result, the astronauts remained in space longer than anticipated.
The issue with the Starliner spacecraft was never fully resolved, forcing the spacecraft to return to Earth without its crew.
Despite this, the spacecraft's journey back to Earth was successful. Unfortunately, the astronauts’ return was further delayed, marking the beginning of their extended stay in space. Initially expected to return in early July, they would now spend an additional eight months in orbit.
Over the seven months they remained stranded in space, the astronauts voted in the U.S. elections and celebrated the new year from the ISS.
The latest information indicated that the astronauts’ return to Earth would take place at the end of March or the beginning of April 2025. During this time, NASA has placed its trust in SpaceX to assist in the astronauts' rescue.
In a recent statement, NASA announced that SpaceX might expedite the planned return and move the date earlier than initially projected.
This adjustment marks the first time the astronauts’ return timeline has been moved forward. Notably, former U.S. President Donald Trump had urged SpaceX and its founder, Elon Musk, to prioritize the astronauts’ return to Earth. Consequently, a planned private flight organized by Axiom Space, involving astronauts from Poland, Hungary, and India, was delayed in favor of the mission to bring the stranded astronauts home. A new capsule is now scheduled for launch on March 12 to retrieve the astronauts and bring them back to Earth.