Two astronauts were stranded in space... NASA's rescue operation statement: Return dates changed once again

They were stranded in space due to a malfunction in the Boeing spacecraft. NASA stated that the astronauts, who have been stranded at the space station for more than 8 months, could be rescued in March.

The statement noted that this would shorten the astronauts' long-term stay at the International Space Station (ISS) by a few weeks.

According to this new plan, a private flight organized by the Houston-based company Axiom Space, which included astronauts from Poland, Hungary, and India, has been postponed.

It was shared that instead of this flight, a new capsule will be launched on March 12 to bring Wilmore and Williams back.

In late January, a call was made to American billionaire Elon Musk, requesting that he ensure the return of the stranded astronauts to Earth.

SpaceX, owned by Musk, announced that it had begun planning to rescue the astronauts.

Williams and Wilmore were sent to the ISS on June 5, 2024, for a one-week test flight aboard Boeing's new Starliner capsule.

However, due to a technical malfunction in the Starliner, the return date for the two astronauts was postponed, and NASA issued a directive for the capsule to return empty.

It was previously estimated that the two astronauts would not be able to return to Earth until the end of March or the beginning of April, and that their stay at the space station would reach approximately 10 months, following the postponement of the launch date for the backup SpaceX capsule taking over the mission.

According to the new plan, the astronauts' return will be moved up by 1 month. During their time stranded in space, Williams and Wilmore conducted spacewalks and performed various scientific experiments.