NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have safely returned to Earth after spending an extended nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Along with their fellow astronauts, NASA’s Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, the crew touched down at 5:57 pm EDT (3:30 am IST) on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully undocked from the ISS, with the crew splashing down off the coast of Florida.
Initially, Williams and Wilmore had been scheduled to stay at the ISS for about a week, but their mission was prolonged after they arrived in June of the previous year. The two astronauts travelled to the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The ISRO celebrated Williams’ safe return, calling it “a remarkable achievement” and expressing interest in utilizing her expertise in space exploration.
Williams and Wilmore, both veteran NASA astronauts and retired US Navy test pilots, had been launched into space as part of Starliner’s first crew in June 2024. Their mission, initially planned as an eight-day test, was delayed due to issues with Starliner’s propulsion system.
In August, NASA made the decision for the Starliner spacecraft, which had transported them to space, to return without the astronauts. Meanwhile, they waited for the SpaceX Crew Dragon to arrive. The Crew Dragon docked at the ISS with two empty seats, while the Starliner returned uncrewed in September.
The mission has garnered attention from US President Donald Trump, who, upon taking office in January this year, called for the expedited return of Wilmore and Williams, claiming that former President Joe Biden had “abandoned” them on the ISS for political reasons. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, a close advisor to Trump, supported this call.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked at the International Space Station on March 14 with a replacement crew, clearing the way for the return of Williams and Wilmore.
After a brief handover, the Crew Dragon spacecraft undocked from the ISS on March 18 and began its 17-hour journey back to Earth. The crew re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at around 5:45 pm ET, using parachutes to slow their descent from an orbital speed of 17,000 miles per hour to a gentle 17 miles per hour. They splashed down about 50 miles off Florida’s Gulf Coast under clear skies, ten minutes later.
Once the capsule was hoisted onto a boat, the astronauts were flown to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for routine health checks before being cleared to reunite with their families. Williams’ home village in India celebrated enthusiastically following the splashdown.
PM Narendra Modi also extended a personal invitation to Williams, who is of Indian origin, to visit India upon her return. Meanwhile, the White House reiterated a claim made by former President Donald Trump, asserting that he had expedited the astronauts’ return, stating “promises made, promises kept.”
