Washington, DC [US]: After spending over nine months stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to return to Earth on Tuesday evening, NASA confirmed in a statement.
Williams and Wilmore will return alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Live Coverage and Return Details
NASA will provide live coverage of the Crew-9 return mission, beginning with Dragon’s hatch closure preparations at 10:45 p.m. EDT on Monday, March 17.
NASA stated:
“NASA and SpaceX met on Sunday to assess weather and splashdown conditions off Florida’s coast for the return of the agency’s Crew-9 mission from the International Space Station. Mission managers are targeting an earlier Crew-9 return opportunity based on favorable conditions forecasted for the evening of Tuesday, March 18.”
NASA emphasized that this earlier return window allows ISS crew members to complete handover duties while avoiding potentially unfavorable weather conditions later in the week.
The Starliner Incident
Williams and Wilmore initially traveled to the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Their mission, originally planned to last about a week, was extended after Starliner faced helium leaks and issues with its reaction control thrusters while docking. As a result, the spacecraft returned to Earth unmanned in September, leaving the astronauts on the ISS.
SpaceX Rescue Mission
On Friday, SpaceX launched its Crew-10 mission using a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a Dragon spacecraft to retrieve the stranded astronauts.
Political Involvement
The mission gained political attention when Donald Trump urged Elon Musk to expedite the astronauts’ return, accusing former US President Joe Biden of “abandoning” them in space. Trump later claimed he had authorized Musk to fast-track the rescue mission.
Next Steps
NASA and SpaceX will continue to monitor weather conditions and confirm the specific splashdown location closer to the Crew-9 return. The mission managers are closely watching factors such as spacecraft readiness, recovery team preparation, and sea conditions to ensure a safe return for the astronauts.