NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally set to return to Earth on Sunday, March 16. Though their return is just days away, their extraordinary journey takes us nearly nine months back in time—when a brief mission turned into an unexpected extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore had initially embarked on what was planned to be a 10-day mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. However, the pair ended up spending nine months in space after a series of delays and complications kept them on the ISS far longer than anticipated.
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore: Timeline of their ISS journey
June 2024: Mission begins
The two astronauts launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024, with plans for an eight-day stay at the ISS. Shortly after arrival, however, a “stable and isolated leak” was detected, according to the Associated Press. This issue marked the beginning of a series of setbacks that extended their mission indefinitely.
August 2024: Return timeline pushed back
Two months later, NASA acknowledged that the astronauts’ return would be delayed. A new timeline suggested they might return to Earth via a SpaceX mission scheduled for early 2025.
November 2024: Celebrating thanksgiving in space
Despite the prolonged stay, spirits remained high. The astronauts celebrated Thanksgiving on board the ISS. In an interview with NBC Nightly News, Sunita Williams reassured the public: “People are worried about us—really, don’t worry about us. We’re feeling good, working out, eating right. We have a lot of fun up here, too.”
December 2024: Further delays confirmed
NASA officially announced another delay, pushing the return from February to March or even April due to scheduling issues with the upcoming SpaceX retrieval mission.
February 2025: Political controversy and clarification
In February, former U.S. President Donald Trump stirred controversy by claiming that Williams and Wilmore had been “virtually abandoned” in space. The astronauts responded, dismissing the claim and emphasizing that they did not feel stranded. They also confirmed that they would be returning aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule set to launch on March 12.
March 2025: Countdown to return begins
On March 8, NASA confirmed that Crew 9—including Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, astronaut Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov—will return to Earth only after the successful launch of Crew 10. If the launch does not proceed on March 12, backup opportunities are available on March 13 at 7:35 p.m. and March 14 at 7:04 p.m.
After a long and eventful mission, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally preparing to come home—bringing a close to a remarkable chapter in space exploration.