Astronaut Sunita Williams Prepares for Return to Earth After 9 Months On The ISS

• Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returns to earth on Tuesday after nine months says NASA
• They both will travel with Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov
• The astronauts will return back on spaceX crew dragon

NASA revealed that American astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been on board the ISS for more than nine months, will return to Earth on Tuesday evening. They will be accompanied by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, all riding back on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft that docked with the ISS during the weekend.

The return of the astronauts, initially scheduled for Wednesday, was advanced because of predicted poor weather later this week. The Crew Dragon is now set to splash into the ocean off the coast of Florida at 5:57 p.m. EDT (21:57 GMT and 3:30 a.m. IST on March 19). Live coverage will start with hatch-closing activities on Monday night.

Butch and Sunita have been on the ISS since June 2023 on a Boeing Starliner spacecraft test mission. They were delayed returning when the Starliner had a problem with its propulsion system and was not suitable for the return trip. The extended mission caught many off guard and caused concerns as the astronauts had originally packed for a brief stay. NASA was forced to ship extra provisions, such as clothes and bathroom items, to sustain their extended space stay.

Their own endeavor will not beat the American mark of 371 days by astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023. Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov still owns the record of the longest amount of time in space at 437 days aboard Mir space station.

NASA put across that the new return promises an easier turnover to the crew of the ISS and ensures a safe and effective return of the home of the astronaut. Splashdown next week will conclude a difficult but historic mission for Butch and Sunita, who will once again join their families after an unexpectedly extended space stay.