NASA's Sunita Williams to land in Pacific Ocean during her return trip to Earth in March

Produced by Tarun Mishra

The Delay

Originally planned for an eight-day mission, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore's stay on the International Space Station (ISS) was significantly extended due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.

Decision for SpaceX Return

NASA decided that the safest option for Sunita Williams' return would be aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, due to ongoing concerns with the Starliner's functionality.

Crew-9 Mission Integration

The astronauts will return with the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which has been adjusted to accommodate Williams and Wilmore along with two other crew members, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

Scheduled Return Date

The return is slated for early March 2025, marking an extended mission of nearly eight months for Williams and Wilmore, far beyond the initial plan.

Departure from ISS

The Crew Dragon will undock from the ISS, carrying Williams, Wilmore, Hague, and Gorbunov back to Earth. This undocking will occur after the arrival of the next ISS crew rotation.

Return Journey

The spacecraft will re-enter Earth's atmosphere, with the astronauts experiencing the intense conditions of re-entry before parachuting towards a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean as currently planned. However, landing could be shifted to Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico, depending on weather conditions.

Splashdown and Recovery

Once the Crew Dragon lands, a recovery team will quickly approach to secure the capsule, assist the astronauts out of the spacecraft, and transport them to a nearby ship for initial medical checks before returning to land.