NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore are scheduled to return to Earth on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, after an extended nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Initially planned as an eight-day mission to test Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, their stay was prolonged due to propulsion issues with the capsule, rendering it unfit for the return journey.
Their return has been facilitated by SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission, which launched from Kennedy Space Center on Friday and successfully docked with the ISS on Sunday. The Crew-10 team comprises NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. This crew will replace the current Expedition 72 members, including Williams and Wilmore, who have been aboard the ISS since June 2024.
Williams and Wilmore are slated to depart the ISS aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, with splashdown expected near the Florida coast at approximately 5:57 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Joining them on the return journey will be NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
Throughout their extended mission, Williams and Wilmore conducted over 150 experiments and witnessed significant Earth events from space. Despite the unforeseen extension, both astronauts maintained a positive outlook, emphasizing the challenging nature of human spaceflight.
Their anticipated return marks the conclusion of a unique chapter in space exploration, with both astronauts looking forward to reuniting with their families and resuming life on Earth.
