Kochi: Stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore, Sunita Williams and other workmates are likely to return to earth from the International Space Station (ISS) soon as NASA and SpaceX have launched a rocket to ferry them back home.
A new replacement to them on the ISS was sent on the rocket Falcon9 launched by Spacex and NASA.
Sunita and Butch were stranded there for over nine months even as they were expected to be there for only eight days.
The two astronauts, along with their ISS workmates, Nasa’s Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, will be relieved by four astronauts, from Russia, Japan and two from the US.
There will be a two-day handover formality, after which the old crew will begin their journey back to Earth.
Further delay is possible if conditions on Earth are not favorable for a safe re-entry of the returning capsule.
Photo : X
