By The Sampadak Express
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months, have started their long-awaited return to Earth. The journey began with the undocking of their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule from the ISS at 1:05 am New York time on Tuesday. They were joined by Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov and NASA astronaut Nick Hague.
The undocking marks the start of their 17-hour journey, with the capsule set to travel through space and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere before splashing down off the Florida coast at approximately 5:57 pm local time.
Before departing, Williams and Wilmore took a final photograph in space, which had been their home since June. Once they land, both astronauts will undergo medical checks at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and later fly to Houston to reunite with their families.
NASA also announced a post-return press conference scheduled for 7:30 p.m. New York time on March 18, with officials from NASA and SpaceX discussing the mission.
Why Did It Take 9 Months for Williams and Wilmore to Return?Originally scheduled for an eight-day stay, Williams and Wilmore arrived at the ISS in June aboard a Boeing Starliner spacecraft. However, due to a propulsion system issue with the Starliner, NASA decided in August to send them home aboard a SpaceX capsule instead. The Starliner returned without the astronauts in September.
Their extended stay became widely covered by the media, with some outlets referring to them as the “stranded” astronauts. The situation also drew attention to Boeing’s troubled space program, following a series of technical challenges and leadership changes. In contrast, their story underscored NASA’s increasing reliance on SpaceX for human spaceflight missions.
