NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore have finally returned to Earth after an extended nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Originally planned as a 10-day mission on Boeing's Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT), their journey became one of the most unexpectedly prolonged stays in recent spaceflight history. Here’s a look at how their mission unfolded:
Sunita Williams’ 9 Months in Space: A Timeline
June 5, 2024: Starliner Takes Off
Williams and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft atop an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The mission aimed to certify Starliner for human spaceflight, making it a competitor to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for ferrying astronauts to the ISS.
June 6, 2024: Starliner Docks with the ISS After Thruster Malfunctions
The capsule successfully reached the ISS, but five of its 28 thrusters failed, delaying the docking process. Engineers revived four thrusters, allowing Starliner to complete its docking on a second attempt.
June 18, 2024: First Return Delay Announced
NASA postponed the crew’s return to June 26 to investigate thruster issues and a helium leak. However, additional technical problems arose, pushing the return date even further.
July 2, 2024: NASA Extends Mission Beyond 45-Day Limit
Initially, the mission was set to last no more than 45 days, but NASA deemed the spacecraft stable enough to remain in orbit longer while investigating the thruster and helium leak issues.
August 24, 2024: NASA Announces Starliner Will Return Without Crew
NASA and Boeing decided that Starliner would return to Earth uncrewed, while Williams and Wilmore would remain on the ISS until February 2025. They would instead return on SpaceX’s Crew-9 Dragon capsule.
September 7, 2024: Starliner Lands Uncrewed in New Mexico
After multiple delays, the Starliner capsule successfully landed without astronauts aboard, raising further questions about its reliability for future missions.
September 22, 2024: Sunita Williams Takes Command of the ISS
Williams assumed command of the ISS, becoming one of the few women to lead an expedition aboard the station.
September 28, 2024: Crew-9 Launches to ISS with Seats Reserved for Williams and Wilmore
NASA launched Crew-9 aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, ensuring that two seats were reserved for Williams and Wilmore to return home.
November 12, 2024: Sunita Williams Addresses Health Concerns
After media speculation about her health, Williams reassured the public that she was in good physical condition, maintaining a healthy diet and workout routine.
January 30, 2025: Williams Sets Spacewalk Record
Williams set the record for most spacewalking time by a female astronaut, accumulating 62 hours and 6 minutes in spacewalks after removing a faulty communications unit on the ISS.
February 11, 2025: NASA Moves Up Crew-9 Return Date
NASA announced that Crew-9 would return earlier than expected in mid-March, as SpaceX decided to use a flight-proven Crew Dragon capsule instead of waiting for a new one.
March 14, 2025: Crew-10 Launches to Replace Crew-9
Crew-10 successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center, clearing the way for Crew-9’s return journey.
March 18, 2025: Crew-9 Departs from the ISS
Dragon Freedom undocks from the ISS after hatch closure at 8:45 AM IST. NASA begins live coverage of Crew-9’s return as the capsule moves away from the station. Crew-9 enters a 17-hour return trajectory, undergoing system checks before re-entry.
March 19, 2025: Successful Splashdown and Recovery
2:41 AM IST – Deorbit burn begins, slowing the capsule for re-entry.
3:14 AM IST – A brief communications blackout occurs due to extreme atmospheric heating.
3:24 AM IST – Parachutes deploy, slowing the capsule for splashdown.
3:27 AM IST – Splashdown confirmed in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Florida coast.
A Historic Return for Sunita Williams and Crew-9
With this unexpectedly extended mission finally concluded, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore return to Earth as part of SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, marking another milestone in human spaceflight.
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