Sunita Williams Set to Return to Earth After Nine-Month Stay Aboard ISS

Washington DC, 17th March 2025: NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, along with her crewmate Butch Wilmore, is poised to return to Earth this week after an unexpectedly extended nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The duo, originally launched on June 5, 2024, for what was planned as a brief 10-day test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, faced significant delays due to technical issues with the capsule. Their homecoming is now facilitated by SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission, which successfully docked with the ISS early Sunday morning, March 16, marking a critical step in their long-awaited return.

The Crew-10 mission, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, March 14, at 7:03 p.m. EDT, arrived at the ISS with a fresh team of four astronauts: NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russia’s Kirill Peskov. Their arrival was met with a lighthearted welcome when NASA astronaut Nick Hague, already aboard the ISS, greeted the newcomers wearing an alien mask—a playful nod to the station’s tradition of celebrating with costumes.

Williams and Wilmore, visibly relieved, exchanged hugs and smiles with the arriving crew, signaling the beginning of the end of their prolonged orbital stay.

Williams and Wilmore’s mission took an unexpected turn when the Boeing Starliner encountered thruster malfunctions and other technical glitches during its approach to the ISS last June. After extensive evaluations, NASA deemed it safer to return the Starliner to Earth without its crew in September 2024, leaving the astronauts to await a SpaceX rescue mission. Their return was initially slated for February 2025, but delays in scheduling pushed it to this month.

Now, with Crew-10’s successful docking, the handover process has begun, allowing Williams, Wilmore, Hague, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov—members of the Crew-9 mission—to prepare for their departure.

NASA has scheduled the Crew-9 team’s return for no earlier than Wednesday, March 19, pending favorable weather conditions at the splashdown sites off the coast of Florida. Over the next few days, the incoming Crew-10 astronauts will assume control of ISS operations, while Williams and Wilmore complete their final tasks and brief their replacements. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which will carry them back to Earth, underwent pressurization and leak checks upon docking to ensure a safe journey home.

Reflecting on her extended stay, Williams recently shared her mixed emotions during a press conference from the ISS. “The hardest thing has been being away from my dogs and family,” she said, adding that she’s eager to return but will miss the unique experience of space. “I don’t want to lose the feeling of floating and seeing Earth from above—it’s everything.” Her resilience and optimism have been a hallmark of this mission, which has tested both her endurance and NASA’s contingency planning.

The return of Williams and Wilmore closes a remarkable chapter in space exploration, highlighting the challenges and triumphs of long-duration missions. As they prepare for re-entry, NASA will closely monitor their health, expecting them to face typical post-spaceflight adjustments like dizziness and muscle weakness as they readjust to Earth’s gravity. For Williams, a veteran astronaut with a record of nine spacewalks—the most by any woman—the journey home is a testament to her storied career and unwavering dedication to advancing human spaceflight.

Stay tuned for updates as mission teams finalize the splashdown timeline, bringing Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back to solid ground after nearly 300 days in orbit.