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NASA Astronauts Begin Return to Earth After 9-Month ISS Mission

Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, originally on an 8-day Starliner test mission, undocked aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon for a scheduled Florida splashdown today.

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams pose inside the vestibule between the forward port on the International Space Station's Harmony module and Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 13, 2024.
Image
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, two veteran NASA astronauts who have been stuck on the International Space Station for nine months, wave at the hatch of a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule before closing the hatch in preparation for undocking from the ISS to begin their return to Earth March 17, 2025 in this still image taken from video. NASA/Handout via REUTERS
A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, two veteran NASA astronauts who have been stuck on the International Space Station for nine months, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov and NASA astronaut Nick Hague, undocks from the ISS to begin a journey to return to Earth March 18, 2025 in this still image taken from video. NASA/Handout via REUTERS

Overview

  • NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, along with two other crew members, undocked from the ISS early Tuesday aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule.
  • Their return marks the end of a nine-month mission, extended from the planned eight days due to propulsion failures on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
  • The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule is scheduled to splash down off the Florida coast at 5:57 PM EDT today, following a 17-hour journey.
  • The extended mission highlighted NASA's reliance on SpaceX for crew transport and raised questions about Boeing's future in the Commercial Crew Program.
  • Williams and Wilmore contributed to ISS operations during their prolonged stay, including scientific research and maintenance tasks, while awaiting a safe return plan.