Astronauts Stranded on ISS for Nine Months Set to Return This Weekend

A SpaceX mission launching today aims to facilitate the return of two astronauts delayed by spacecraft issues since June.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, originally sent to the ISS for an eight-day mission, have been stranded for nine months due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
A SpaceX Crew-10 mission is scheduled to launch today at 7:48 PM local time from Cape Canaveral, carrying a new crew to the ISS and paving the way for their return.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS on Thursday, initiating a brief crew handover period before the stranded astronauts can depart.
If weather conditions permit, the Dragon spacecraft carrying Wilmore, Williams, and two other astronauts from Crew-9 will leave the ISS on Sunday and splash down off the U.S. East Coast.
The prolonged stay has drawn political attention, with Elon Musk and Donald Trump criticizing the previous administration for alleged neglect, while Musk claims SpaceX could have acted sooner.