Crew 9 Astronauts Performed Critical Research On Cancer And Stem Cell Tech: NASA

After more than nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to return to Earth today (Tuesday, March 18), the space agency confirmed. "The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favourable weather conditions expected for later in the week," NASA said. Their extended mission, initially slated to end much earlier, was delayed due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Williams and Wilmore were originally scheduled to return via the Starliner after a brief mission, but after propulsion failures rendered the craft unfit for re-entry, they were forced to remain aboard the ISS. Meanwhile, American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov replaced them, arriving on March 16 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon. The duo’s return is now scheduled for a splashdown off Florida’s coast at 5:57 pm Tuesday, ahead of anticipated poor weather later in the week.