NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore Begin Return to Earth After 9-Month ISS Stay

Last Updated Mar - 18 - 2025, 02:03 PM | Source : Fela News

Sunita William and Butch Willmore deported from ISS and returning soon to Earth after approximately 9 months.

NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore Begin Return to Earth

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on March 18, 2025, after an unexpected nine-month stay instead of their planned eight-day mission. They are returning aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft with fellow astronauts Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

Williams and Wilmore launched on June 5, 2024, for Boeing’s first crewed Starliner test flight, but technical failures, including propulsion system malfunctions, delayed their return. The Starliner was eventually sent back uncrewed in September 2024, extending their mission and allowing them to contribute to over 150 scientific experiments.

The Crew Dragon’s 17-hour return journey includes atmospheric reentry, parachute deployment, and a planned splashdown off Florida’s coast at 3:27 AM IST on March 19. A SpaceX recovery team will retrieve the astronauts shortly after landing. Their prolonged mission underscores human resilience in space exploration, overcoming technical setbacks to ensure a safe return.