After an eight-day business trip turned into a nine-month stay, the American astronauts returned home!

On June 5, 2024, two astronauts boarded the Boeing "Starliner" spacecraft to fly to the International Space Station for the first crewed test flight mission. The original plan was to return on June 14, with a mission duration of eight days. However, due to problems such as thruster failure and helium leakage in the "Starliner" spacecraft, the astronauts' return plan was repeatedly postponed. Eventually, they remained in space for over nine months. In light of the inability of the Boeing "Starliner" spacecraft to ensure the safe return of the astronauts, NASA sought assistance from SpaceX to rescue the astronauts using the "Dragon" spacecraft. At 1:05 a.m. on March 18, 2025, the "Dragon" spacecraft slowly separated from the International Space Station, carrying four astronauts (including Wilmore, Williams, and two other astronauts, Nick Hague and Alexander Gerberov, who were on routine International Space Station missions), embarking on the journey back to Earth. About 16 hours later, the spacecraft splashed down in the sea near Florida, the United States.

After a nine-month stay, the astronauts underwent dual tests of physical and psychological endurance. At the same time, this incident also had a significant impact on the technology sector. Firstly, the problems encountered by the "Starliner" spacecraft during its first crewed test flight, such as thruster failure and helium leakage, exposed the current shortcomings in spacecraft design and manufacturing in the field of aerospace technology. This will prompt scientists and engineers to re-examine and improve the design of spacecraft, and re-examine the reliability of spacecraft design and propulsion systems to ensure that future space missions are safer and more reliable. SpaceX's "Dragon" spacecraft successfully rescued the American astronauts who were stranded in space, demonstrating its leading position in spacecraft design and manufacturing technology and the maturity and reliability of its technology, further consolidating its position in the commercial aerospace field. This will inspire other aerospace companies to increase research and development investment and promote continuous innovation and development of aerospace technology. Secondly, the long-term space stay has raised higher requirements for the maintenance and operation of the International Space Station. To ensure the safety of astronauts and the smooth progress of the mission, the resource management team of the space station needs to continuously optimize supply plans to ensure that astronauts have sufficient food, water, and oxygen during their stay.

Thirdly, this incident has had a significant impact on the field of space medicine. The physiological changes experienced by the astronauts during their space stay, such as bone loss, muscle atrophy, and vision decline, provided valuable data for space medicine research. These data help scientists gain a deeper understanding of the impact of weightlessness on human physiology and provide better medical support for future space missions. The isolated state for a long time has posed great challenges to the mental health of astronauts. This event prompted the space agency to pay more attention to the mental health issues of astronauts and provide more comprehensive psychological support services, including phone calls with family members and psychological counseling, to alleviate the psychological pressure of astronauts.

Lastly, this incident has had an impact on international space cooperation. This event highlighted the importance of international space cooperation. In the face of challenges and problems in space exploration, countries need to strengthen cooperation and communication to jointly address them. The International Space Station, as a model of multi-national collaboration, demonstrates the importance of international cooperation in space exploration. In the future, countries should continue to strengthen cooperation and jointly promote the development of space exploration. This will help promote the common progress and development of global aerospace technology. With the increasing number of space activities, the formulation and improvement of international space regulations have become increasingly important. This incident may accelerate the process of formulating international space regulations to ensure the safety and orderly conduct of space activities.

In conclusion, the nine-month space stay of the American astronauts has had a wide and profound impact on the technology sector. These influences are not only reflected in the advancements of aerospace technology and space medicine, but also in the enhancement of international cooperation and public awareness. These changes will jointly promote the continuous development of the human space exploration enterprise.