After spending over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally set to return to Earth. NASA has confirmed that their journey back will begin on Tuesday, Mar. 18, ending a mission that has lasted far longer than originally planned.
At 10:35 a.m. IST, NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov undocked from the International Space Station and began their journey home to Earth. They will be returning aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, which successfully docked with the ISS over the weekend.
The return comes after an unexpected delay caused by technical issues with Boeing's Starliner, which was initially intended to bring them home.
Williams and Wilmore reached the ISS in June 2024 as part of the first-ever crewed mission of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. But their return was postponed due to problems with the Starliner’s propulsion system.
As a result, NASA opted to keep them aboard the ISS while evaluating alternative options. Ultimately, it was decided that they would return in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. The delay extended their stay on the space station well beyond the original schedule.
SpaceX Crew-9 Splashdown Date And Time
NASA has confirmed that the Crew-9's Dragon capsule will splash down off the Florida coast at around 5:57 p.m. EDT on Mar. 18 (03:27 a.m. IST, Mar. 19). The live coverage of the splashdown will resume at 4:45 p.m. EST (02:15 a.m. IST).
NASA and SpaceX will continue to monitor conditions at sea and will confirm the exact splashdown site closer to the return time.
How To Watch NASA's Live Coverage of Crew-9 Return And Splashdown
The live streaming of Crew-9's return will resume at 2:15 a.m. on Wednesday, March 19.
NASA provided the live streaming of Crew-9's return, beginning with the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft's undocking at 10:35 a.m. IST today.
Tap on the live streaming below to watch Sunita Williams homecoming.
Crew 9's Return To Earth Schedule
Mar. 18, 12:45 a.m. EDT (10:15 a.m. IST, Mar. 18) – Live coverage of undocking begins
Mar. 18, 1:05 a.m. EDT (10:35 a.m. IST, Mar. 18) – Undocking from the ISS
Mar. 18, 5:11 p.m. EDT (2:41 a.m. IST, Mar. 19) – Deorbit burn (approximate)
Mar. 18, 5:57 p.m. EDT (3:27 a.m. IST, Mar. 19) – Splashdown (approximate)
Mar. 18, 7:30 p.m. EDT (5:00 a.m. IST, Mar. 19) – Post-splashdown press briefing
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