If all goes well, our 2 astronauts, Butch and Suni will splash down tomorrow at 5:16 PM tomorrow. Good news.

[Paul158]

If all goes well, they will splash down around 5:16PM tomorrow. I believe it was originally an 8-day trip. Hoping for their safe return tomorrow.

[mspart]

That is good news.  

mspart

[Offthemat]

 

[mspart]

They'll be home tomorrow hopefully!!

mspart

[red viking]

1 hour ago, Offthemat said:

 

Cool and interesting but complete waste of money to try to colonize that place. 

[Offthemat]

Babylon Bee:

 

Federal Judge Orders Astronauts Be Returned To Space Station

U.S. — A district judge has issued a ruling saying Trump lacked the Constitutional authority to pick up two astronauts who have been stranded at the International Space Station for several months.

SpaceX has been ordered to return the astronauts immediately.

"I will not stand by while Donald Trump abuses his power like a dictator," said Judge Earl Flanders in his ruling. "Trump has no authority to pick up these astronauts, and I can say that because I'm a federal judge, and no one is allowed to argue with me, and everyone has to do what I say."

Eyewitnesses say the judge then donned a Keffiyeh and spray painted a Cybertruck while screaming "Black Lives Matter."

Sources in Washington say Trump plans to brazenly ignore the lawful order and bring the astronauts home anyway. "This is just the kind of wanton lawlessness we should expect from a dictator who is literally Hitler," said one legal analyst.

The SpaceX craft docked at the ISS on Sunday and was preparing for the return journey to Earth when the orders stopped the process short. "Please bring us home, I just want a cheeseburger and a nap in a horizontal bed," said one of the crew.

At publishing time, Trump was polling at 100% approval among the stranded astronaut demographic.

https://babylonbee.com/news/judge-orders-astronauts-be-returned-to-space-station

[Paul158]

About 40 minutes to splash down.

[headshuck]

Wow!

[Offthemat]

Made it look easy. 

[Caveira]

I don’t understand the politics of why they had to stay out there so long and space x had to rescue them.  Serious question.  Why ?

[Paul158]

11 minutes ago, Caveira said:

I don’t understand the politics of why they had to stay out there so long and space x had to rescue them.  Serious question.  Why ?

Maybe it was the risk of failure. We may never know.

[Paul158]

15 minutes ago, Caveira said:

I don’t understand the politics of why they had to stay out there so long and space x had to rescue them.  Serious question.  Why ?

I'm glad there was an alternative option to get them home.

[Scouts Honor]

On 3/17/2025 at 8:46 PM, red viking said:

Cool and interesting but complete waste of money to try to colonize that place. 

so you think JFK was an idiot? 

[Scouts Honor]

14 hours ago, Caveira said:

I don’t understand the politics of why they had to stay out there so long and space x had to rescue them.  Serious question.  Why ?

because .... you know

[Scouts Honor]

 

[Paul158]

23 minutes ago, Scouts Honor said:

That was really cool. It was like they were waiting for them to splash down and they were welcoming them home.

 

[1032004]

15 hours ago, Caveira said:

I don’t understand the politics of why they had to stay out there so long and space x had to rescue them.  Serious question.  Why ?

They weren’t “rescued” by SpaceX.  In fact I believe this was about the time they were previously planned to be coming back.  It was announced in August that SpaceX would be bringing them back around February/March.

https://www.reuters.com/science/long-path-home-nasa-astronauts-butch-wilmore-suni-williams-2025-03-18/

What I’m not totally clear on is when exactly Musk offered to bring them back sooner and the specific circumstances around why that didn’t happen, other than Musk claiming it was “for political reasons” and one of the astronauts specifically stating it was not.

[Paul158]

6 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

They weren’t “rescued” by SpaceX.  In fact I believe this was about the time they were previously planned to be coming back.  It was announced in August that SpaceX would be bringing them back around February/March.

https://www.reuters.com/science/long-path-home-nasa-astronauts-butch-wilmore-suni-williams-2025-03-18/

What I’m not totally clear on is when exactly Musk offered to bring them back sooner and the specific circumstances around why that didn’t happen, other than Musk claiming it was “for political reasons” and one of the astronauts specifically stating it was not.

Butch and Suni were only supposed to be there 8 days. The ship they were supposed to come back on had issues so it was sent back unmaned. They didn't want to take the risk so it was sent back without them. That was 9 months ago.

Edited March 19 by Paul158
missed a word

[1032004]

Just now, Paul158 said:

Butch and Suni were only supposed to be there 8 days. The ship they were supposed to come back on had issues so it was sent back unmaned. They didn't want to take the risk so it was sent back without them. That was 9 months ago.

Yes but it was announced in August that SpaceX would be the ones bringing them back, but not until February at the earliest.  

[Paul158]

10 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

Yes but it was announced in August that SpaceX would be the ones bringing them back, but not until February at the earliest.  

Elon told the Biden Administration in mid-June, he could pick them up in 3 months. That would have been in Mid-September. That is straight from Elon Musk. The Biden administration turned him down. So. now its March 19th and they are home safe and sound. 

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

15 hours ago, Caveira said:

I don’t understand the politics of why they had to stay out there so long and space x had to rescue them.  Serious question.  Why ?

'It wasn't political and they always had a ride home.'

[Bigbrog]

1 hour ago, 1032004 said:

They weren’t “rescued” by SpaceX.  In fact I believe this was about the time they were previously planned to be coming back.  It was announced in August that SpaceX would be bringing them back around February/March.

https://www.reuters.com/science/long-path-home-nasa-astronauts-butch-wilmore-suni-williams-2025-03-18/

What I’m not totally clear on is when exactly Musk offered to bring them back sooner and the specific circumstances around why that didn’t happen, other than Musk claiming it was “for political reasons” and one of the astronauts specifically stating it was not.

How were they originally supposed to get back to earth?

[1032004]

45 minutes ago, Paul158 said:

Elon told the Biden Administration in mid-June, he could pick them up in 3 months. That would have been in Mid-September. That is straight from Elon Musk. The Biden administration turned him down. So. now it’s March 19th and they are home safe and sound. 

This is “straight from Elon Musk” in recent weeks.  Is there actual record of him saying this in June?

[1032004]

1 minute ago, Bigbrog said:

How were they originally supposed to get back to earth?

The Starliner, which is the one that had the issues that caused the delay in the first place.

[Bigbrog]

9 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

The Starliner, which is the one that had the issues that caused the delay in the first place.

So, is it safe to say that it is a good thing these astronauts are back on earth??  Yes!  And is it safe to say thank you to Elon Musk and SpaceX helping make that happen??  Yes!

I read through all the events and how they occurred including the statements made by the astronauts, and from their perspective they have no idea why there was a delay and that they were "not privy to any discussions as to why" and/or if it is "political", but they indicated that it didn't matter to them because they were prepared to stay as long as they did as that is part of the preparation prior to heading into space originally...i.e., they were prepared to stay 8 days or for as long as they did.