“Torn Astronauts” Butch and Suni are ready to start a trip to home

After an epic nine months in space, Nasa Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams astronauts are finally prepared to go home.

Their stay at the International Space Station (ISS) had to last only eight days, but their mission was drastically extended after the spacecraft that they arrived in the case of technical problems.

The couple travels back to the ground in the Spacex capsule with NASA astronaut Nick Hag and Russian astronaut Alexander Gorbunov.

They are expected to withdraw from the ISS at 05:05 GMT (01:05 EDT) on Tuesday and then reject the Florida coast later the same day at 21:57 GMT (17:57 EDT).

However, their landing time can change if the weather conditions are not good enough.

This will mark the end of a mission that caught the attention of the world, but the last stages of their trip will not be easy.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule will make a quick and fiery re -entry through the Earth’s atmosphere, withdrawing temperatures up to 1600C.

As it slows down quickly, astronauts will experience significant G-Sili, about four times greater than earthly gravity.

Finally, four large parachutes will open, which will allow the craft to land slightly in the ocean.

Helen Sharman, the first astronaut in the UK, said the exciting ride would be worth it.

“They are experienced astronauts, but they will feel fantastic to return to the ground. Fresh air is the first thing they get,” she told BBC News.

The Butch and Suni saga begins in June 2024.

They participated in the first test flight of the Starliner spacecraft crew developed by Aerospace Company Boeing.

But the capsule suffered several technical problems during its trip to the space station and was considered too risky to take astronauts at home.

Starliner returned safely to the ground empty in early September, but that meant the couple needed a new trip to return.

So NASA chose the next planned flight: SpaceX capsule, which arrived at the ISS in late September.

He flies with two astronauts instead of four, leaving two places for the return of Butch and Suni. The only catch was that this had a planned six -month mission, extending the astronauts’ stay so far.

The arrival of a replacement crew on Sunday was the last step needed to return Butch and Suni – and after a short hand with the new team, their mission is already over.

The NASA couple have embraced their long -term stay in space.

They have carried out an array of experiments aboard the orbiting laboratory and have conducted space paths, with Suni breaking the record for the woman who spent the most hours outside the space station.

And although the astronauts are described as “stuck”, they have never actually been.

Throughout their mission, there was always a spacecraft to the space station to get them – and the rest of those on board – at home, if there was an emergency.

Speaking in the weeks before their departure, Butch Wilmore said they had not fallen when their mission was extended.

“We came out ready to stay long, even though we plan to stay short. That’s what we do in the human space flight. That’s what this is about your country’s human space flight program,” he said.

Suni added that she was sad, that this would probably be her last mission.

“I think just the fact that we live here, in this very unique place gives you an incredible perspective,” she said. “I don’t want to lose this spark of inspiration when I leave, so I’ll have to bottle it in some way.”

The couple’s mission attracted even more publicity last month after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the astronauts were left in space for political reasons and his company could bring them back to home.

But NASA employees said their decisions are based on flight planning and space station needs.

Gareth Reisman, a former NASA astronaut and a former SpaceX Space Operation Director, said there were justified reasons why NASA had not chosen a special rescue mission.

“It would not reduce the time that Butch and Suni spent a lot – I want to say that you would shave a few months of rest, so the benefit was not so great,” he told BBC News.

“And the price was high – these crew missions cost hundreds of millions of dollars…. I think Butch and Suni would be the first to say” No, it’s not worth it. “

After the astronauts return home, they will be taken to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where they will be checked by medical experts.

Long duration missions in space take effect on the body, astronauts lose bone density and tolerate muscle loss. Blood circulation is also affected, and fluid change can also affect vision.

It may take a long time for the body to return to their normal, so that the couple will get an extensive exercise regime, as their bodies adapt to life again with gravity. But the first priority for Butch and Suni will be to see their families, friends – and pets.

Gareth Reisman is in contact with her friend Suni while she was in space.

“I had an email from Suni exactly the day she was talking about the lack of sitting on her porch in her house in Maine with dogs and smelled of fresh air, feeling the sun on your face,” he told the BBC.

“These are the main things about life here on Earth that you miss.”