NEW DELHI: After spending over nine months in space, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally set to return to Earth, now that their replacement crew has arrived at the International Space Station (ISS).
The two astronauts, who initially embarked on an eight-day mission in June last year, found themselves stranded due to propulsion malfunctions in their Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
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NASA has now confirmed that Williams and Wilmore will head back to Earth on Tuesday evening (Florida time). Enthusiasts will be able to watch the splashdown live, as arrangements have been made for its broadcast.
The SpaceX Dragon capsule will carry the duo back home, with touchdown scheduled for 5:57 PM EST. The pair will be landing in Florida, more than nine months later than planned.
The Dragon capsuleโs return was initially planned for Wednesday, but NASA opted to move it forward by a day due to adverse weather conditions expected later in the week.
NASA also announced that it will livestream the return journey, with coverage beginning at 10:45 PM EST on Monday, showcasing the hatch closure preparations.
On Sunday, the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft reached the ISS carrying the replacement team, which includes an astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut. The spacecraft successfully docked past midnight ET (9:34 AM IST), ensuring a smooth transition before Williams and Wilmore begin their journey home.
Alongside Williams and Wilmore, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will also return to Earth.
After the Boeing Starliner repeatedly failed to bring the stranded astronauts back, U.S. President Donald Trump tasked Elon Muskโs SpaceX with handling the rescue mission.
Although Williams and Wilmore have spent far longer in space than their original eight-day mission, they havenโt broken the U.S. record for the longest stay. That title remains with Frank Rubio, who spent 371 days aboard the ISS in 2023.
The global record, however, belongs to Russiaโs Valeri Polyakov, who endured an astonishing 437 days aboard the Mir Space Station between 1994 and 1995.
