NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who has spent the past 9 months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), is preparing to return to Earth. The return, scheduled for March 19, will see her and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore landing off the coast of Florida at 5:57 PM (Eastern Time), which is 3:30 AM IST on March 19. They will return aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule recently docked at the ISS.
Williams and Wilmore arrived on the ISS in June 2023 as part of a planned mission that has lasted much longer than initially expected. Originally, their return was scheduled for Wednesday, but NASA has now confirmed that the journey will take place on Tuesday evening due to favorable conditions. Both astronauts had earlier participated in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft’s first crewed test flight, which encountered technical problems, forcing them to remain on the ISS longer than planned.
NASA has stated that the timing of their return was carefully chosen to allow the ISS crew to finish their ongoing work and also to accommodate potential weather disruptions later in the week. The return will be streamed live, with the broadcast set to begin at 10:45 PM (US Eastern Time) on March 17, which will be around 8:30 AM IST on March 18. This live stream will allow viewers around the world to watch the astronauts’ return in real-time.
In addition to Williams and Wilmore, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov will also be returning aboard the Crew Dragon capsule. The return journey marks the end of a mission that, while initially planned for a much shorter duration, turned into an extended stay due to unforeseen technical issues. The astronauts will return home after completing a range of important scientific experiments and maintenance work aboard the ISS.
This return marks a significant milestone for both the astronauts and NASA. Williams, in particular, will return to Earth after spending an extensive amount of time in space, reinforcing her status as one of NASA’s most experienced astronauts. For space enthusiasts and the scientific community, the live broadcast of this return will be a thrilling opportunity to witness the culmination of months of hard work and dedication aboard the ISS.
