SpaceX rescues two astronauts stuck in ISS for 300 days
- SpaceX's Falcon 9 launched on March 14, 2025, to rescue two astronauts stranded in space since June 2024.
- Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams spent nearly 300 days in orbit due to a malfunction of Boeing's Starliner capsule.
- The successful mission underscores the critical role of private space companies like SpaceX in astronaut rescue efforts.
On March 14, 2025, SpaceX's Falcon 9 successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to rescue two astronauts stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024. The astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, were initially scheduled to remain in the ISS for just one week. However, a malfunction with Boeing's Starliner capsule prevented their timely return, leading to their extended stay in space, which lasted nearly 300 days. During their time in orbit, the trio comprising Wilmore, Williams, and a third colleague, accomplished approximately 900 hours of work, contributing to various experiments and research efforts aboard the ISS. As part of the rescue mission, four new astronauts from SpaceX's Crew-10, representing the United States, Japan, and Russia, were set to relieve Wilmore and Williams. This transition was crucial as it marked the end of an unprecedented duration of time that the astronauts spent in space due to challenges associated with their return vehicle. Wilmore and Williams, alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and a Russian cosmonaut, had worked collaboratively on diverse experiments, making significant contributions to space research. They were scheduled to depart the ISS on March 19, 2025, concluding their lengthy mission under extraordinary circumstances.