International desk
19 March
Sandeep Dhand
Journalist & Research Analysist
NASA astronauts of Indian origin, Sunita Williams, and her colleague Butch Wilmore have safely returned to Earth after spending nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their journey back was completed in a SpaceX capsule, which splashed down in the waters off Florida Panhandle just hours after leaving the ISS.
The capsule separated from the space station at around 1:00 AM Eastern Time (10:30 AM IST) and successfully landed at 5:57 AM Eastern Time (3:27 AM IST). Within an hour of landing, the astronauts emerged from the capsule, waving and smiling at the cameras before being placed on stretchers for medical check-ups.
Williams and Wilmore spent a total of 286 days in space, during which they orbited Earth 4,576 times and traveled an estimated 121 million miles. They returned alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov.
The duo initially traveled to the ISS on June 5, 2024, aboard Boeing’s new Starliner spacecraft as part of a test flight. They were originally expected to return within a week. However, technical issues with the spacecraft led NASA to bring Starliner back to Earth unmanned, while Williams and Wilmore remained in space.
NASA later decided to return them using a SpaceX capsule, but this also faced delays due to technical issues, further pushing their return from February to March.
Their successful return marks the end of a long and eventful mission, and both astronauts are now undergoing medical evaluations to readjust to Earth’s gravity after their extended stay in space.