NASA has confirmed that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will return to Earth on Tuesday, March 18. They have been stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months due to issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
SpaceX Crew Dragon to Bring Them Home
The astronauts will travel back aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will join them on the return journey. The Crew Dragon arrived at the ISS early Sunday to pick them up.
Crew 10 Dragon vehicle arriving! pic.twitter.com/3EZZyZW18b
— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) March 16, 2025
NASA Revises Splashdown Time
NASA has moved up their ocean splashdown off Florida’s coast to 5:57 p.m. EDT on March 18 (3:27 a.m. IST on March 19). The agency initially planned the return for Wednesday but adjusted it due to changing weather conditions.
NASA to Provide Live Coverage
NASA will broadcast the return journey live. The coverage will begin on Monday, March 17, at 10:45 p.m. EDT (March 18, 8:30 a.m. IST). It will show the Crew Dragon’s hatch closure and the astronauts’ departure from the ISS.
.@NASA will provide live coverage of Crew-9’s return to Earth from the @Space_Station, beginning with @SpaceX Dragon hatch closure preparations at 10:45pm ET Monday, March 17.
Splashdown is slated for approximately 5:57pm Tuesday, March 18: https://t.co/yABLg20tKX pic.twitter.com/alujSplsHm
— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) March 16, 2025
Nine-Month Stay Longer Than Planned
Wilmore and Williams originally planned for a short mission. However, propulsion issues in the Starliner spacecraft forced them to stay for over nine months. Although their stay lasted longer than the usual six-month rotation, it remains shorter than NASA astronaut Frank Rubio’s 371-day record.
Extended Mission Drew Attention
The unexpected delay kept them away from their families and created widespread speculation. NASA had to send extra clothes and supplies since they had packed for only a short mission.
Now, with their return finally scheduled, their long wait will soon come to an end.
