Daijiworld Media Network – New York

New York, Mar 17: After an extended stay of over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are finally set to return to Earth on Tuesday evening.

The duo will travel back alongside fellow American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which arrived at the ISS early Sunday. Their return was initially planned for Wednesday but has been moved up to 5:57 pm EDT on Tuesday (21:57 GMT and 3:30 am IST on March 19) to avoid deteriorating weather conditions later in the week.

Wilmore and Williams had been on the ISS since June 2023 as part of the first crewed test flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. However, propulsion issues forced NASA to deem the vehicle unfit for their return, significantly prolonging their mission.

NASA stated that the rescheduled departure allows sufficient time for crew handover procedures while ensuring a safe return window. The space agency will provide live coverage of the Crew Dragon’s return, starting with hatch closure preparations on Monday night.

Despite their unexpectedly extended mission, Wilmore and Williams' time in space remains shorter than the US record of 371 days set by astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023, or the world record of 437 days achieved by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov aboard the Mir space station.

Their prolonged stay away from family and home has drawn significant attention, with NASA ensuring they received additional clothing and personal supplies to accommodate the unplanned extension. Now, with their long-awaited return imminent, the astronauts are set to complete their journey back to Earth, marking the end of an unforeseen chapter in their spaceflight experience.