NASA confirms Sunita Williams’ return and splashdown

NASA confirmed Sunday evening that Sunita Williams and her crew will splash down off Florida’s coast on March 18 (GMT).

As curiosity grows over the return of two US astronauts who have spent more than nine months on the International Space Station (ISS), NASA assured that the duo will return to Earth on Tuesday, March 18, in the evening (GMT).

SpaceX Crew Dragon, which arrived at the ISS early Sunday, will transport Butch Wilmore, Sunita Williams, another American astronaut, and a Russian cosmonaut back home.

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Sunita Williams return date | Splashdown time

The duo has remained on the ISS since June last year after propulsion issues disabled the Boeing Starliner spacecraft they were testing on its maiden crewed journey, making it unfit for their return to Earth.

On Sunday evening, NASA announced that it had rescheduled the astronauts’ ocean splashdown off the Florida coast to 5:57 pm on Tuesday, Florida time (3:27 am IST, March 19), moving it up from the initial plan of no sooner than Wednesday.

“The updated return target gives the space station crew time to complete handover duties while ensuring operational flexibility ahead of expected unfavorable weather later in the week,” NASA stated.

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NASA to show live coverage

NASA will broadcast live coverage of the SpaceX Crew-9 return to Earth from the ISS, beginning with Dragon spacecraft hatch closure preparations at 10:45 pm EDT on Monday, March 17 (8:30 am IST on March 18).

Nick Hague, a NASA astronaut, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, a Roscosmos cosmonaut, will join Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams on the Dragon capsule for their journey home. Their return will conclude a nine-month stay that was originally planned as a short mission.

Wilmore and Williams spent significantly more time on the ISS than the typical six-month rotation, drawing widespread attention. However, their extended mission remains shorter than the 371-day US record set by NASA astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023 and the 437-day world record set by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov aboard the Mir space station.

The prolonged stay kept them away from their families for much longer than anticipated, raising concerns. Since they had packed for a short trip, NASA had to deliver extra clothing and personal care supplies to sustain their extended mission.