NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and her teammate Butch Wilmore have been living on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 5, 2024. Their trip was supposed to last just eight days, but problems with their ride—the Boeing Starliner—kept them in space much longer. Now, NASA says they’ll come back to Earth in late March 2025, after almost nine months away. Here’s the story of their long journey.
A Short Trip Turns Long for Sunita Williams
Sunita Williams, an astronaut with Indian roots, and Butch Wilmore, a space expert, blasted off in Boeing’s Starliner for its first crewed test. The goal? A quick trip to prove the spacecraft worked. They docked at the ISS on June 6, 2024, but soon found helium leaks and thruster issues in the Starliner. NASA decided it wasn’t safe to fly home in it. So, the Starliner came back empty on September 6, 2024, landing in New Mexico. Williams and Wilmore stayed behind, joining the ISS crew for extra months.
A New Way Home – Sunita Returns Home
Since their original ride couldn’t bring them back, NASA called on SpaceX. Williams and Wilmore will fly home on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, part of the Crew-9 mission. That mission launched on September 28, 2024, with astronauts Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, leaving two seats open for Williams and Wilmore. At first, NASA planned their return for February 2025. But delays in getting a new Dragon ready for the next mission, Crew-10, pushed it to late March.
When Will Sunita Williams Land?
NASA expects Williams and Wilmore to land around March 16, 2025. The Crew-10 team—Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi, and Kirill Peskov—will launch on March 12, 2025, from Florida. After a week of overlap to share info about ISS work, Williams and Wilmore will hop in the Crew Dragon, called Endurance. It’ll splash down in the ocean off the U.S., ending their long stay.
What Sunita Williams and Wilmore Spend their Time in Space?
While stuck up there, Williams and Wilmore stayed busy. Williams took charge of the ISS in September 2024. They worked on science projects, fixed equipment, and practiced for their trip home. Williams, who’s spent over 62 hours spacewalking in her career, handled the extra time like a pro. She’s excited to see her family and dogs again but enjoyed helping NASA’s mission.
Why is There Delay for Sunita Williams Return to Home?
NASA delayed their return to keep the ISS running smoothly. They wanted a fresh Dragon spacecraft for Crew-10 instead of rushing with an older one. This keeps the station staffed and experiments on track. Switching from Starliner to SpaceX also shows how NASA has backup plans to keep astronauts safe.
A Big Adventure Ends Soon – Sunita Williams Back!
When Sunita Williams lands in late March 2025, she’ll have spent about 285 days in space this trip. That adds to her career total of over 600 days, making her one of the top astronauts for time in orbit. Her long stay wasn’t planned, but it’s been a tale of teamwork and toughness. Soon, she’ll trade the ISS view for home sweet home.
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