Sunita Williams Prepares for Return to Earth After Over Nine Months in Space

Washington, 18th March 2025: Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and her crewmate Butch Wilmore are set to return to Earth after spending more than nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). NASA has shared a video of the astronauts leaving the ISS as they board the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for their journey back.

Williams and Wilmore, along with fellow astronauts Nick Hague and Roscosmos’ Alexander Gorbunov, undocked from the ISS earlier today. Their return journey is expected to take 17 hours, with their spacecraft scheduled to land off the coast of Florida, USA, at 3:30 AM on Thursday.

NASA is live-streaming the return of the Crew-9 mission, allowing viewers to witness their descent and splashdown. The space agency had previously conducted a weather and safety assessment with SpaceX to ensure favorable landing conditions.

Before undocking, NASA’s live feed showed Williams, Wilmore, Hague, and Gorbunov packing their belongings and sealing the spacecraft’s hatch in preparation for departure.

Reflecting on his time aboard the ISS, astronaut Nick Hague said:
“It is a privilege to call the space station my home, to play my part in its 25-year legacy of research for humanity, and to work with colleagues, now friends, from around the world. My spaceflight career, like most people’s, is full of unexpected things.”

During their 286-day mission, Williams and Wilmore completed over 4,500 orbits of Earth and traveled more than 121 million miles in space. Their mission focused on scientific research, space technology advancements, and maintaining ISS operations.

With their journey nearing its end, NASA and the world eagerly await their safe landing back on Earth.