Sunita Williams to begin return home journey today as NASA astronauts end unexpected 9-month space mission

 

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to return to Earth after an unplanned nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS)—a mission that was supposed to last just eight days. The two will undock from the ISS on Tuesday, along with Crew-9 members Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Mission Delays and Starliner Setbacks

Williams and Wilmore launched on June 5, 2024, aboard Boeing’s Starliner for its first crewed test flight. However, technical issues, including helium leaks and propulsion system malfunctions, left the spacecraft unsafe for their return journey.

By September 2024, NASA decided to send the Starliner back to Earth without the astronauts to free up the docking port for other spacecraft, effectively stranding Williams and Wilmore on the ISS.

Adjusting to an Extended Stay

Originally scheduled for a quick return, the astronauts instead became part of ongoing ISS operations, contributing to over 150 scientific experiments. As an alternative, NASA arranged their return on the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which had been planned for early 2025.

Their departure was made possible by the arrival of the Crew-10 mission on March 17, which facilitated the necessary crew exchange.

Final Journey Home

Williams, Wilmore, Hague, and Gorbunov will board the Crew Dragon for their journey back to Earth. After 17 hours in transit, they are expected to splash down off the coast of Florida at 3:27 a.m. IST on March 19.

Having spent nearly nine months in microgravity, the astronauts will now face the physical challenges of readjusting to Earth's gravity—a final hurdle in an already unexpected mission.