NASA astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore are returning to Earth after an extended nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Initially launched in June 2024 for a brief mission to test Boeing's Starliner capsule, their stay was prolonged due to technical issues with the spacecraft, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions.
The astronauts began their journey back aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, Freedom, undocking from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. ET on March 18, 2025. They are accompanied by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who joined the ISS in September 2024. The crew is expected to splash down off the coast of Florida around 5:57 p.m. ET.
During their extended mission, Williams and Wilmore contributed to various scientific experiments and maintenance tasks aboard the ISS. Despite the unexpected duration, they remained in good spirits, emphasizing their commitment to the mission and readiness for their return.
Their prolonged stay has drawn public and political attention, with discussions about the challenges faced and the resilience demonstrated by the crew.
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