Name: SpaceX mission set to bring stranded Starliner astronauts home
Uploaded: 2025-03-12T14:28:43.439Z
Duration: 2 min 29 s
Description: A SpaceX mission slated for launch Wednesday could pave the way for the return of Boeing Starliner crewmembers Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams. CBS News senior national correspondent Mark Strassmann reports.

A SpaceX mission slated for launch Wednesday could pave the way for the return of Boeing Starliner crewmembers Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams. CBS News senior national correspondent Mark Strassmann reports.

Merritt Island

A SpaceX mission is scheduled for launch with the objective of bringing home crew members of the Boeing Starliner from the International Space Station. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have stayed at the ISS since June of the previous year, could be returning to Earth soon if the mission proceeds as expected. This mission is part of the regular rotation of astronauts traveling to and from the ISS.

Wilmore and Williams, originally scheduled for an earlier return, have become notable due to the extended duration of their stay, which some have alleged became a political issue. Claims have surfaced suggesting their extended stay was a result of inaction by the Biden administration, though the astronauts themselves have denied these claims, stating they are comfortable with the extension and are well-prepared for such situations.

The plan involves welcoming a new group of four astronauts to the ISS, who will replace those departing. Wilmore and Williams are expected to be among the returning crew. The handover procedure is projected to conclude within a few days, potentially allowing them to return to Earth shortly thereafter. Current expectations are that their return will happen no later than early to the middle of the next week.



SpaceX mission set to bring stranded Starliner astronauts home

A SpaceX mission launch slated for later today could pave the way for the crew of the Boeing Starliner to return home. Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams have been at the International Space Station since June of last year, but if everything goes as planned, the pair could be headed home in a matter of days. Let's bring in CBS News Senior National Correspondent Mark Strassman now. He is live for us at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This all sounds like good news, Mark. Remind us what the original purpose is for today's mission and how it might pave the way for the return of Butch and Sonny. Yeah, good to talk to you. The mission for today, tonight's launch, the group of four astronauts heading up to the space station really is unchanged. It's just part of the regular rotation of astronauts aboard the International Space Station. What is different is that two of the astronauts that they're going to replace have become very high profile over the last nine months or so, simply because their stay has been extended and their stay has become a bit of a political issue with claims by the Trump White House that they were abandoned or stuck in space because of inaction by the Biden administration. The astronauts themselves have told us that's not the case, that they've enjoyed their time in space, that they are built for adjusting to delays and extended stays like this. But all good things must come to an end. And so tonight, this launch of four astronauts will go up and sometime probably early next week, four astronauts will come back down to Earth and two of them will be Butch Wilmore and Sonny Williams, the two astronauts who've been in space now for nine months. And Mark, you've always had consistent reporting when you've reminded us that there are always contingency plans when it comes to NASA missions. There was always plans B through Z, quite frankly. So what is the plan now to get them home? Well, the plan essentially is there will be a handover by the four astronauts who are leaving and the four astronauts who are arriving. That will last a couple of days. So Wilmore and Williams could be part of four astronauts coming back as soon as Sunday night. They could leave the ISS, which means they could be back on Earth as soon as Monday. But in any event, everyone sort of expects that they will be back on Earth no later than sometime early to the middle of next week. All right, we hope things work well. Mark Strassman with that live update from the Kennedy Space Center. Thank you, Mark.

Valentino Garavani, founder and namesake of the luxury fashion empire Valentino, has died at 93. Garavani was known for a trademarked shade of red, a staple at his fashion shows for nearly half a century.

Rome

Iconic fashion designer Valentino Garavani dead at 93

Experts studying the cause of the derailment of a high-speed train in Spain - which killed dozens of people - found a broken joint on the rails, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

Adamuz

Source: broken joint found on track at Spanish rail crash site

Prince Harry is back in a London court, along with a slew of other high-profile figures, fighting the publisher of the Daily Mail over invasion of privacy and illegal information gathering tactics.

London

Prince Harry back in London court fighting British tabloids

U.S. President Donald Trump has told Norway's prime minister in a letter that he no longer feels obligated "to think purely of Peace" because he had not been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and he repeated his demand for control of Greenland.

Washington

Trump tells Norway he no longer feels obligated to think only of peace

Billionaire wealth surged at three times ‍its recent pace ​last year to reach its highest level on record, deepening economic and political divides that threaten democratic ⁠stability, anti-poverty group Oxfam said.

World billionaire wealth hits new peak amid rising poverty, Oxfam says

A high-speed train collision that caused a derailment in southern Spain has killed at least 39 people, officials say. Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash.

High-speed train crash in Spain kills dozens

Prime Minister Mark Carney is considering sending Canadian Forces personnel to Greenland for military exercises with NATO allies in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats on European nations who block his efforts to acquire the island, two senior Canadian officials told CBC News.

Ottawa

Carney considering sending troops to Greenland for NATO exercises

The deal followed hours after the Syrian army seized oil and gas fields and two major northeastern towns in clashes with the SDF. Fighting earlier this month has displaced tens of thousands.

Aleppo

Syrian government agrees to ceasefire with Kurdish-led SDF

European countries held an emergency meeting in Brussels Sunday in response to President Trump's post threatening tariffs against countries that have sent military forces into Greenland amid his push to annex the Arctic island.

Brussels

European leaders denounce Trump's tariff threat over Greenland

After 25 years of talks, the EU signed the EU-Mercosur trade deal on Saturday, creating a 700 million-person free-trade area. Ratification is still pending, however, with the European Parliament set for a heated debate.

Asunción

EU seals contentious trade deal with Mercosur countries

European governments blasted U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that eight countries will face 10% tariff for opposing American control of Greenland beginning next month.

Nuuk

Greenland Stand-Off

European governments condemn Trump's tariff threats over Greenland

Palestinians in Gaza expressed both concern and hope after the White House announced some members of a so-called "Board of Peace" that will supervise the temporary governance of the war-torn enclave, which has been under a fragile ceasefire since October.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Gazans wary as U.S. names 'Board of Peace' under Trump's plan

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on eight European countries until they allow the U.S. to buy the autonomous Danish territory.

Trump escalates pressure on Europe over Greenland control

Protesters who support the surge of federal immigration officers in Minneapolis have clashed with counter-protesters, while state officials announced that the Minnesota National Guard had been mobilized. Adding to the mayhem was the freezing January weather.

Minneapolis

Pro and anti-ICE protesters clash in Minneapolis

Iran's supreme leader blamed the U.S. for the protests against his regime that resulted in a violent crackdown. Willie James Inman has President Trump's response.

Tehran

Iran blames U.S. for protests, Trump punches back

President Trump announced that he would institute 10% tariffs on eight European countries who oppose his plan to put Greenland under U.S. control. The announcement came after a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers flew to Denmark to express support for keeping Greenland under Danish control.

Trump announces new tariffs on European countries who backed Greenland

Large crowds of demonstrators marched through Copenhagen and other Danish cities on Saturday in support of Greenland's sovereignty amid tensions with the US.

Copenhagen

Thousands take part in 'Hands off Greenland' protests in Denmark

The United States will impose increasing tariffs on several European countries until the U.S. is able to purchase Greenland, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland would face the tariff.

Global Tariffs

Trump threatens tariffs against European nations over Greenland support

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni won his seventh term with 71.65% of votes, according to official results Saturday, defeating the youthful challenger who campaigned for change after four decades of the same government.

Kampala

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni wins seventh term

There will be no territorial concessions in Ukraine, the Ukrainian president said, answering Euronews' question on whether Kyiv is now being pressured into territorial concessions.

Ukraine Invasion

Ukraine will not cede any of its territory, Zelenskyy says

The United States on Thursday said Iran halted 800 executions of protesters under pressure from President Donald Trump, after Gulf allies appeared to pull him back from military action over Tehran's deadly crackdown on demonstrations.

U.S. claims Iran halts executions of protesters amid crackdown

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado met with President Donald Trump on Thursday at the White House. She presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal, which was seen as a peace offering to win his support.

Venezuela Strikes

Venezuelan opposition leader presents Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize

A U.S. Senate delegation is meeting with Danish officials on Friday to defuse the standoff between President Donald Trump and Denmark over Greenland. Denmark sent soldiers to Greenland and they will be joined by military units from various NATO allies.

NATO troops head to Greenland amid Trump's threats

NASA says it could be just weeks away from launching astronauts on a flight around the moon for the first time in more than half a century. Final preparations are underway at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the Artemis II moon rocket is expected to roll out to the launch pad on Saturday.

Cape Canaveral

Final preparations for Artemis II launch underway

A South Korean court on Friday (January 16) sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison on charges that included obstructing attempts by authorities to arrest him following his failed bid to impose martial law in December 2024.

Seoul

Five years' jail for South Korea's Yoon in first martial law penalty

US President Donald Trump is threatening to use military force against Americans after clashes between protestors and law enforcement in Minneapolis. The city has been on edge since the fatal shooting of a protester, Renee Good, by an ICE officer.

Trump threatens to use military against Minneapolis protests

The U.S. and Taiwan clinched a trade deal that cuts tariffs on many of the semiconductor powerhouse's exports, directs new investments in the U.S. technology industry and risks infuriating China.

U.S., Taiwan strike deal on tech tariffs risking China's ire

The United Nations Security Council has held an emergency meeting to discuss the deadly anti-establishment protests in Iran at the request of the United States. President Donald Trump has refused to rule out military action on Iran over the killing of protesters. Tehran has vowed to retaliate if that happens.

Iran, U.S. clash at UN over protests as calls grow for restraint

Tensions are soaring in Minneapolis as protesters face off against federal agents. As Matt Gutman reports, it comes after a Venezuelan migrant was shot by an ICE agent after allegedly trying to flee federal officers.

Tensions flare in Minneapolis after second shooting by ICE agent

Ali Shaath, the Palestinian former government official chosen to administer Gaza under a U.S.-backed deal, has an ambitious plan that includes pushing war debris into the Mediterranean Sea and rebuilding destroyed infrastructure within three years.