With growing anticipation over the return of two US astronauts who have spent more than nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA confirmed on Sunday (March 16) that they will be coming back to Earth on the evening of Tuesday, March 18 (GMT).
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will return alongside another American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which arrived at the ISS early Sunday.
Sunita Williams’ Return to Earth – Splashdown Timing
Wilmore and Williams have been on the ISS since June last year after the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which they were testing on its maiden crewed mission, suffered propulsion issues, rendering it unfit for their return journey.
.@NASA will provide live coverage of Crew-9’s return to Earth from the @Space_Station, beginning with @SpaceX Dragon hatch closure preparations at 10:45pm ET Monday, March 17.
Splashdown is slated for approximately 5:57pm Tuesday, March 18: https://t.co/yABLg20tKX pic.twitter.com/alujSplsHm
— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) March 16, 2025
NASA announced that their ocean splashdown off the Florida coast has been scheduled for approximately 5:57 pm (ET) on Tuesday, March 18 (3:27 am IST, March 19). The return was initially planned for no earlier than Wednesday but was moved up due to unfavorable weather expected later in the week.
“The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected for later in the week,” the space agency said.
NASA to provide live coverage
NASA also confirmed that it will broadcast live coverage of the SpaceX Crew-9 return, starting with hatch closure preparations at 10:45 pm EDT on Monday, March 17 (8:30 am IST, March 18).
Joining Wilmore and Williams on the return journey will be NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Their departure will mark the end of a prolonged stay that was originally intended to last just a few days.