Sunita Williams’ return to Earth confirmed

NASA has announced that astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been on the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months, will return to Earth on Tuesday evening. They will travel aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, accompanied by another American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut.

Williams and Wilmore initially arrived at the ISS in June aboard the Boeing Starliner. However, due to technical issues with the spacecraft, they were unable to return as planned. Their stay, which was meant to last only a few days, extended to nine months. NASA has now scheduled their return for Tuesday at 5:57 PM EDT (Wednesday 3:27 AM IST), ahead of expected unfavorable weather conditions.

Although their stay was longer than the usual six-month ISS missions, it was still shorter than the record set by NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, who spent 371 days in space in 2023. The world record for the longest continuous space mission remains with Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who spent 437 days aboard the Mir space station.

Being stranded for months presented challenges for the astronauts. They had to receive extra clothing and personal care items as they had packed only for a short trip. Despite the difficulties, their resilience has drawn public attention and sympathy.

NASA’s live broadcast of their return will begin on Monday evening, covering the hatch closure and final preparations. Their return marks the end of an unexpected and extended mission in space.

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