NASA confirms March 19 as return date for Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore
Originally set for launch in February, the Crew-10 mission was delayed due to a technical issue with the new Dragon capsule intended for the flight.
NASA has revised its plans for the return of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station (ISS), now considering March 19, 2025 as their new departure date. This update moves their return forward by approximately two weeks from the previously scheduled early April timeline, according to a report by Daily Mail.
The decision is linked to adjustments in the schedule for SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission. Originally set for launch in February, the Crew-10 mission was delayed due to a technical issue with the new Dragon capsule intended for the flight. As a result, the launch was postponed to March, which in turn delayed Williams and Wilmore’s return.
Williams and Wilmore are expected to travel back to Earth aboard the Crew-9 capsule, which has been docked at the ISS since 29 September 2024. However, NASA protocol requires Crew-9 to remain at the station until Crew-10 arrives to ensure a structured transition. This procedure allows for a handover period in which the outgoing crew briefs the incoming team, maintaining continuity of operations aboard the ISS.
NASA's Preparations
To facilitate an earlier launch, NASA has opted to switch the Dragon capsule originally assigned to Crew-10. This change is expected to clear the way for Crew-10’s revised launch schedule, thereby enabling Crew-9, along with Williams and Wilmore, to return to Earth sooner than initially planned.
)
Anthropic reveals India is Claude AI's No. 2 market. But what are Indians actually using the AI for? | WION Decodes
)
28-year-old woman PhD scholar dies of electrocution on Panjab University campus
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
Delhi Consumer Court fines Indian Railways Rs 25,000 for making RAC passengers share one blanket
)
Russia-Ukraine war: Putin mobilises more troops for Ukraine's war decisive invasion
)
582 tonnes, 150 million°C, 60 years: WION Decodes the mind-boggling numbers behind China's 'Artificial Sun'
)
Indian forces used pellet guns on Jul 20? SC hearing, police diary entry, MLC report and injured protesters' claims
)
NEET Protests riddled with misinformation? Delhi Police blocks 480 Pakistan-based handles spreading 'fake news' since Operation Sindoor
)
Claude AI down? Anthropic confirms outage as users face errors across chatbot and API
)
Are you an Indian on an H-1B visa? New US bill could make getting Green Card easier
)
India avoids higher US tariff, secures lower 10% rate. Here's how
)
Assam floods 2026: Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt and other Bollywood celebrities extend support to affected families
)
Commonwealth Games 2026 Day 8: India's full schedule, medal events and match timings
)
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke returns to Maharashtra, receives grand welcome in hometown
)
This Ramayana actor took ZERO fee from Rs 4000 crore film. Guess who?
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Ramayana Part 1 trailer out! Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash lead Nitesh Tiwari’s epic saga
)
Kangana Ranaut clarifies her 'Generation Gutter' remark: 'Gen Z of our country are taking us to such heights' - watch
)
Brewery offering 'free beer' the day Trump dies has license revoked - 'Will have to pry me out of my taprooms'
)
British Airways flight comes close to 'nosediving' over London
)
Ramayana trailer X review: Ranbir Kapoor, Yash shine in a visual spectacle fans call 'cinema at its finest'
)
Nearly Rs 29 crore cash, 15 kg gold found at ex-bus driver's house in West Bengal
)
Missile lands in Poland, leaves crater as PM Donald Tusk says 'all indications' point to Moscow
)
Student denied admission to IIT Kanpur's cybersecurity program hacks websites to prove a point
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why are iPhones so expensive compared to Android phones?
)
Lift accident? Maintenance, builders & makers are ALL liable now, rules Supreme Court: 3 major regulations | WION Decodes
)
Netanyahu spent thousands of dollars on garden maintenance in wartime, report says | Gravitas
)
23ft python swallows man returning from party in Indonesia; family find body whole inside reptile
)
Mysterious projectile leaves massive crater in Poland near Ukraine border, probe launched
)
3.6mn people track 24hr Qantas flight from Melbourne to Toulouse: Pilot shifts, fuel tank and other details
Williams and Wilmore’s return had already been postponed multiple times due to technical concerns with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The pair launched aboard Starliner on 5 June 2024 as part of its first crewed mission under the Starliner Crew Flight Test. However, propulsion system issues and helium leaks detected during the mission led to repeated delays in their journey back to Earth.
Also read: 'Can't remember how to walk': Why NASA's Sunita Williams is losing basic human movements in space
In a separate development, former US President Donald Trump recently commented on the astronauts’ extended stay aboard the ISS. He claimed that Williams and Wilmore were “stranded” in space and called on Elon Musk’s SpaceX to intervene. Despite Trump’s remarks, NASA has confirmed that the astronauts are not stranded and that plans for their return in March are proceeding as scheduled.
