Sunita Williams’ Return to Earth Latest: Astronauts Prepare to Undock from ISS After Nine-Month Delay

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, along with their crew, are set to return to Earth after being stranded on the ISS for nine months due to a spacecraft malfunction.

March 18, 2025 | Space & Science Update

After spending nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) instead of their originally planned eight-day mission, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and her crew are finally preparing to return to Earth. The extended stay was due to technical malfunctions in Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which was deemed unfit for return travel.

Also Read: Sunita Williams’ Homecoming Confirmed: SpaceX Crew Dragon Set for Splashdown

NASA, with assistance from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has now devised a contingency plan, and the crew is expected to undock today, embarking on a 17-hour journey back to Earth.

Live Updates on Sunita Williams’ Return

🕘 Final Suit-Up & Pre-Departure Activities:
NASA confirmed that Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are completing their suit-up activities before undocking from the ISS at 10:35 AM IST (1:05 AM ET).

📸 Last Crew Photo Before Departure:
The four-member team posed for their final photograph aboard the ISS before beginning their descent back to Earth.

Also Read: SpaceX Crew Dragon Enters ISS: Stranded Astronauts Sunita Williams & Butch Wilmore Hug Them, Thank Musk & Trump

🌍 Expected Landing Time & Location:
The astronauts are scheduled to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico at 3:27 AM IST on Wednesday (5:57 PM ET, Tuesday). However, the final landing location will be determined based on weather conditions at the time of descent.

🔧 Why Were They Stranded?
Williams and Wilmore initially arrived at the ISS for an eight-day mission, but a propulsion system failure in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft forced them to extend their stay by over nine months.

🚀 Post-Landing Medical Tests at NASA’s Johnson Space Center:
Upon a successful landing, the astronauts will be transported to NASA’s Johnson Space Center for routine medical evaluations. Prolonged exposure to space causes bone and muscle deterioration, radiation exposure, vision impairment, and psychological effects due to isolation.

NASA’s Response & Future Missions

NASA has assured that the lessons learned from this mission will be crucial for future crewed flights, particularly for its commercial spaceflight programs. This extended mission also underscores the importance of contingency planning in space travel.

Stay tuned for real-time updates on Sunita Williams’ journey back to Earth!

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