Sunita Williams’ return LIVE: After a nine-month-long overstay, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are expected to return to Earth tomorrow, with the crew preparing to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) today.
Sunita Williams return LIVE: A live video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) show the SpaceX crew capsule. The capsule successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, delivering a new team of astronauts to replace Nasa’s two stranded crew members; Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been stuck in orbit for over nine months.
Sunita Williams return LIVE: Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore, with astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, are preparing to return to the Earth after a nine-month-long overstay at the International Space Station (ISS). Their return to Earth is part of a contingency plan devised by NASA with technical assistance from the world’s richest man Elon Musk’s company SpaceX.…Read More
Sunita Williams return | Key points
- The four-member crew is poised to undock from the ISS at 1:05 am ET (10:35 am IST) and begin a 17-hour trip back to Earth.
- The replacement crew will be handed over the responsibilities of the mission before Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore return to Earth.
- Their return was scheduled to begin initially on Wednesday night, but NASA postponed the journey as unfavourable weather are expected to prevail later in the week.
- The four-member crew expected to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico at 5:57 pm ET on Tuesday (3:27 am IST, Wednesday). The exact location of the landing will depend on local weather conditions.
- ‘Butch and Suni’ travelled to the ISS in June last year for a scheduled eight-day mission. They were forced to stay as Boeing Starliner capsule developed issues with its propulsion system.
- The duo was the first crew to fly Boeing’s Starliner in a test flight. The faulty capsule returned to Earth last September.
- US President Donald Trump and his close adviser Elon Musk – SpaceX’s CEO – have sought to blame, without evidence, former President Joe Biden for the astronauts’ plight.
Follow all the updates here:
Mar 18, 2025 8:38 AM IST
Sunita Williams return LIVE: What happens after landing?
Sunita Williams return LIVE: After a successful landing, the crew will be flown to NASA’s Johnson Space Center for a few days of routine post-mission medical checks. Due to challenging survival conditions in space, astronauts face bone and muscle deterioration, radiation exposure, and vision impairment, in addition to the psychological challenges of loneliness.
Mar 18, 2025 8:35 AM IST
Sunita Williams return LIVE: Departing crew poses for final photograph before undocking
Mar 18, 2025 8:31 AM IST
Sunita Williams return LIVE: When will the crew return?
Sunita Williams return LIVE: Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore, with astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, are poised to undock from the ISS at 1:05 am ET (10:35 am IST) and begin a 17-hour trip back to Earth.
The crew is expected to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico (renamed as Gulf of America by the Trump administration) at 5:57 pm ET on Tuesday (3:27 am IST, Wednesday). The exact location of the landing will depend on local weather conditions.
Mar 18, 2025 8:28 AM IST
Sunita Williams return LIVE: Why were Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore stuck at ISS?
Sunita Williams return LIVE: Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore reached the International Space Station for a scheduled eight-day mission. They were forced to stay as the Boeing Starliner capsule developed issues with its propulsion system.
Mar 18, 2025 8:22 AM IST
Sunita Williams return LIVE: Crew completing suit-up activities, says NASA
Sunita Williams return LIVE: NASA began a live-telecast of the mission as the four-member crew is set to undock from the ISS. The space agency said the crew is performing final suit-up acitivites before undocking from the space station.
