NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore are set to return to Earth after an extended mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The two astronauts, who originally planned for a short stay, remained in space for nine months due to technical delays with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
Williams and Wilmore, along with NASA’s Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, undocked from the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule at 1:05 a.m. ET on March 18, 2025. The capsule is expected to splash down in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida around 5:57 p.m. ET, where recovery teams will be on standby to retrieve the crew.
During their prolonged mission, Williams and Wilmore conducted scientific research, performed maintenance operations, and participated in nine spacewalks. Their extended stay gained public attention, and NASA ensured that the astronauts remained in good health and spirits throughout the mission.
NASA is providing live coverage of the return journey, with broadcasts resuming at 4:45 p.m. ET across its platforms.
The successful return of Crew-9 marks another milestone in SpaceX’s partnership with NASA and its ongoing efforts to facilitate safe space travel.
The splashdown will be a carefully coordinated event. The Crew Dragon’s heat shield will protect the astronauts during re-entry before the parachutes are deployed for a controlled descent into the ocean.
Once recovered, the crew will undergo medical checks before returning to NASA headquarters.