Sunita Williams' Homecoming: NASA Confirms Stuck Astronauts' Return Date, Shares Splashdown Time

Washington: After nearly nine months of orbiting the Earth, the much-anticipated homecoming of NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore is finally on the horizon. NASA has officially confirmed that the duo, alongside two fellow crew members, will return to Earth on the evening of March 18, bringing an end to their extended journey aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

This news comes after a significant milestone on March 16, when Crew-10, the replacement crew for Williams and Wilmore, successfully docked with the ISS. The Crew-10 astronauts, aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, arrived after a 28-hour orbital journey, docking with the station's Harmony module at 12:04 AM EDT (0404 GMT).

This marks a momentous transition for Williams, who officially handed over command of the ISS to Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, who will lead operations on the station for the next six months.

Also read | VIDEO: NASA Astronauts' Homecoming: Timeline of SpaceX Crew-10 Mission | Sunita Williams | Butch Wilmore

Crew-10’s Mission Successfully Takeover

Crew-10’s mission will focus on over 200 scientific experiments, including studies on microgravity and its effects on the human body, as well as tests on the flammability of materials in space. These studies are vital for NASA’s deep-space exploration plans under the Artemis program.

For now, Williams and Wilmore, along with fellow crew members Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, are preparing for their return journey to Earth. They will spend the coming days transitioning their responsibilities to the new crew and completing their final duties on the ISS.

“Mission managers are targeting an earlier Crew-9 return opportunity based on favorable conditions forecasted for the evening of Tuesday, March 18," NASA said.

Also read | Inside the International Space Station: Where Sunita Williams Spent 9 Months

'Don't Want to Lose Spark': Williams and WIllmore's Unexpected Long Stay

Williams and Wilmore’s return marks the end of an unexpectedly prolonged mission. The two astronauts had been slated to stay for six months but ended up spending nearly nine months in orbit due to a series of delays in spacecraft scheduling. This extended stay was not only physically demanding but emotionally challenging as well.

Reflecting on her time in space, Williams shared her mixed feelings about leaving the ISS. "It was a wonderful day. Great to see our friends arrive," she told Mission Control.

"This has been Butch’s and my third flight to the ISS. We helped put it together, we have been up here watching it change. Just living here gives us a unique perspective—not just outside the window, obviously—but on how to solve problems. I don't want to lose that spark of inspiration and perspective when I leave, so I am going to have to bottle it up somehow," she added.

The return flight for Williams, Wilmore, and their fellow astronauts will be aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom capsule, with a splashdown scheduled for March 19, weather permitting. NASA officials have confirmed that the capsule will return off the coast of Florida.