Sunita Williams To Return Live: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally set to return to Earth after spending more than nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their extended stay was due to propulsion issues with the Boeing Starliner, which was originally meant to bring them back after just eight days in space last June.
Alongside Williams and Wilmore, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will also be returning to Earth.
When and where to watch Sunita Williams’ return to Earth?
The astronauts will return aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, with a splashdown scheduled for 5:57 PM EST on Tuesday in Florida (3.27 AM IST on Wednesday). NASA had initially planned their return for Wednesday but moved it up due to unfavorable weather conditions later in the week.
For space enthusiasts, NASA will provide live coverage of the event, starting from 10:45 PM EST on Monday (8.15 AM IST on Tuesday), beginning with hatch closure preparations.
Replacement crew arrives at ISS
The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully docked with the ISS on Sunday, delivering a replacement crew that includes an astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut. Before departing, Williams and Wilmore are overseeing a handover process to ensure a smooth transition.
After multiple failed attempts by Boeing’s Starliner to bring back the astronauts, US President Donald Trump tasked SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, with the mission.
Is this the longest stay in space?
No, despite their extended stay, Williams and Wilmore did not break the US record for the longest space mission, which was set by Frank Rubio in 2023 with 371 days aboard the ISS. The world record still belongs to Russia’s Valeri Polyakov, who spent 437 days aboard the Mir Space Station in 1994-95.