Sunita Williams and Wilmore to Return to Earth Today

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore inside the spacecraft as they prepare for their return to Earth after spending over nine months at the International Space Station.

NASA has announced the return of Sunita Williams and her fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore to Earth after being stranded in space for a long time. NASA stated that both astronauts will return to Earth by Tuesday evening. The space agency confirmed that the two astronauts, who had traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) for research, had been stuck there for more than nine months.

NASA also revealed that the return of SpaceX Crew-9 from space to Earth will be broadcast live. According to the information provided by NASA, the spacecraft bringing back Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore is expected to land on Earth on March 18 at 5:57 PM (US time). On Sunday, NASA and SpaceX met to assess the weather conditions and splashdown scenarios off the coast of Florida to ensure the safe return of Crew-9 from the ISS. Mission managers are targeting the return of the spacecraft based on the forecasted favorable conditions for the evening of March 18.

LIVE: #Crew9 and their @SpaceX Dragon spacecraft are departing the @Space_Station and starting their journey back to Earth. Undocking is scheduled for 1:05am ET (0505 UTC). https://t.co/OUp4n98WeE

— NASA (@NASA) March 18, 2025

“Excited for the Return”

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have expressed their gratitude to Elon Musk and former U.S. President Donald Trump. In a video posted by Musk on the social media platform ‘X,’ Sunita Williams said, “We are coming back soon, so don’t make any plans without me!” Butch Wilmore added, “We appreciate Musk and President Donald Trump for all their efforts and for their commitment to human spaceflight for our country.”

The return plan also provides operational flexibility, allowing the ISS crew members time to complete their handover duties while considering the expected unfavorable weather conditions later in the week. The entire process will be closely monitored with weather considerations in mind.

Four New Astronauts Reach the International Space Station

Four new astronauts, representing the United States, Japan, and Russia, have arrived at the ISS. Wilmore and Williams had departed from Cape Canaveral on June 5 aboard Boeing’s new Starliner Capsule for a mission initially planned for just a week. However, due to a helium leak and a drop in velocity in the spacecraft, they ended up being stranded at the space station for nearly nine months.