NASA Astronauts Depart ISS After Nine-Month Delay

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are en route to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule after being stranded due to Boeing Starliner failures.

The astronauts left the International Space Station (ISS) at 05:05 GMT on March 18, 2025, aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule.
They are scheduled to splash down off the coast of Florida at approximately 22:00 GMT the same day.
Originally planned as an eight-day mission in June 2024, their stay extended to over nine months due to propulsion failures and helium leaks in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
During the extended mission, they conducted scientific experiments and maintenance tasks while facing the physical and psychological challenges of long-duration space travel.
The mission highlights a setback for Boeing and a success for SpaceX, while also becoming a subject of political controversy involving claims against the Biden administration.