NASA Astronauts Barry Wilmore & Sunita Williams Set to Return to Earth After 9-Month Stay Aboard ISS

After spending over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams are finally set to return to Earth. Their extended mission, which was initially planned for just a few days, was extended following a technical malfunction with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

Wilmore and Williams were originally scheduled to return to Earth in June last year, following the maiden crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. However, a propulsion system failure rendered the spacecraft unfit for their return journey, stranding them aboard the ISS for an unplanned extended stay.

In a statement released on Sunday, NASA confirmed that the astronauts will be transported back to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, with splashdown expected off the coast of Florida at approximately 5:57 p.m. local time on Tuesday. Originally, their return was planned for Wednesday, but unfavorable weather conditions later in the week prompted an earlier return.

Joining Wilmore and Williams on their return journey will be fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, both of whom have completed their missions aboard the ISS. The return journey will be broadcast live, with hatch closure preparations beginning on Monday evening.

Despite their stay far exceeding the standard six-month rotation, Wilmore and Williams received additional supplies to accommodate the extended mission. Their unexpected ordeal has drawn sympathy, as the astronauts have been away from their families for nearly a year.

Their return will mark the conclusion of a significant chapter in the history of Boeing’s Starliner program, which has faced repeated delays and technical difficulties. NASA will closely assess the spacecraft’s future reliability for crewed missions as part of its ongoing review of the program.

The prolonged mission, though not a record, has captured the world’s attention. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio holds the record for the longest continuous stay in space by a U.S. astronaut with 371 days aboard the ISS, while the global record remains with Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who spent 437 days aboard the Mir space station.

For Wilmore and Williams, however, the mission’s conclusion marks a return to Earth after an ordeal that extended far beyond the expected.