Sunita Williams, Barry Wilmore To Return To Earth: A Timeline Of Their 9-month Stay On ISS
Producer: Bhaswati Sengupta March 18, 2025
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have begun their 17-hour journey to return to Earth, marking the end to their unforeseen nine-month stay in space. They are returning abroad SpaceX Dragon spacecraft along with other Crew-9 members.
Initially, their mission was planned as a brief eight-day test flight aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. It was extended owing to unforeseen technical issues with their vehicle. As per reports, the Starliner’s propulsion problems necessitated an alternative plan, leading to their inclusion in the Crew-9 mission.
Here’s a brief timeline of their nine-month stay on International Space Station (ISS).
June 2024
The astronauts launched abroad Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024 for a 8-day stay. However, after their arrival, a stable and isolated leak was detected, leading to a series of setbacks that extended their mission indefinitely.
Image: NASA
August 2024
Two months after the launch, NASA acknowledged that the astronauts return would be delayed. Reportedly, it was suggested that they might return to Earth via a SpaceX mission scheduled for early 2025.
Image: NASA
November 2024
Despite the setbacks, the astronauts spirits remained high. They celebrated Thanksgiving on board the ISS.
December 2024
NASA once again announced another delay, rescheduling the return from February to March or even April. It was stated that delay is due to scheduling issues with upcoming SpaceX retrieval mission.
Image: NASA
February 2025
In a major claim, US President Donald Trump said that Williams and Wilmore had been virtually abandoned in space. However, dismissing the claim, the astronauts emphasized that they did not feel stranded. They also confirmed that they would be returning abroad a SpaceX Dragon capsule set to launch on March 12.
Image: NASA
March 2025, Countdown Begins
On March 8, NASA confirmed that Crew 9 will return to Earth after a successful launch of Crew 10. It added that if the launch does not proceed on March 12, backup opportunities are available on March 13 and March 14.
Image: NASA
Bringing a close to a remarkable chapter in space exploration, Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore, along with astronauts Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will splash down off the coast of Florida at 3:27 am (IST) on March 19.
Image: NASA