Brutal temperatures ‘stranded’ NASA astronauts will have to endure during journey back to Earth

After nine months, Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and Sunita 'Suni' Williams’ space odyssey has officially concluded, with the pair due to touch down in Florida on a SpaceX Dragon Capsule today (March 18).

The two NASA astronauts became ‘stranded’ onboard the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2024 when their faulty Boeing BA.N Starliner capsule suffered helium leaks and a thruster malfunction.

What was supposed to be a week-long mission became a sprawling, nine-month sojourn, seeing the pair voting in the 2024 US Presidential Election from the ISS and celebrating Christmas onboard.

On March 16, a SpaceX capsule carrying a slew of new explorers docked at the ISS, with Butch and Suni on hand to introduce the Crew-10 astronauts to their new surroundings.

Now, the duo are joined by two of their compatriots, American Nicholas Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, as they hurtle back to Earth onboard an Elon Musk SpaceX Dragon capsule.

Unlocked from the orbiting laboratory at 5.05 GMT, Crew-9’s spacecraft is scheduled to hit water off the coast of Florida at around 22:00 GMT this evening, according to The Guardian.

However, their landing time could change if experts deem weather conditions to be dangerous.

Butch and Suni have been onboard the International Space Station for nine months (NASA)

Each member of the team is dressed in re-entry suits, boots and helmets, as seen in footage shared via a NASA livestream.

According to a recent report by the BBC, Butch and Suni aren’t in for an easy journey.

As they rocket through the Earth’s atmosphere, their capsule will face temperatures of up to 1,600C.

Of course, the pair, alongside Hauge and Gorbunov, are sat safely behind a heat-shield, but they will experience significant g-forces, about four times Earth’s gravity when the craft finally hits the atmosphere.

It’s understood when the four are near enough to the water, four large parachutes will open up, causing the experts to experience a sudden jolt.

The publication writes that this is a necessary process, allowing the craft to slow down enough for a gentle splashdown in the ocean.

The four space adventurers are set to touch down off the coast of Florida (NASA)

Helen Sharman, who holds the title as Britain’s first cosmonaut and the first Western European woman to make it to space, previously made the same trip in a Soyuz in 1991.

She told the BBC that the ride would be worth it, adding: “They're experienced astronauts but they will feel fantastic to be back on Earth. The fresh air is the first thing that gets you."

If you’re as invested in Suni and Butch’s return as we are, then you can watch Crew-9 return activities on NASA+.

The streaming service is set to air coverage from the capsules deorbit burn on its streaming site before hosting a 'Return-to-Earth' media conference with the likes of Sarah Walker, director of Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX, and Joel Montalbano, Deputy Associate Administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate.

To find full mission coverage and more information about Crew-9, check out here.

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