Nine Months in Orbit: Stranded NASA Astronauts Finally Set to Return Home
After more than nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally coming home. What was initially planned as a brief mission turned into an extended stay in orbit due to an unexpected technical failure, capturing global attention and sympathy.
A Long-Delayed Return
NASA has confirmed that Wilmore and Williams, who have been on the ISS since June 2024, will return to Earth on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Their journey home will be aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, alongside fellow astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The capsule, which docked at the ISS early Sunday, is set for an ocean splashdown off the Florida coast at approximately 5:57 p.m. ET (2157 GMT), a day earlier than initially planned.
“The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected for later in the week,” NASA stated.
A Mission That Became an Ordeal
Wilmore and Williams’ extended stay was far from the standard six-month ISS rotation. Their mission took an unexpected turn when the Boeing Starliner, the spacecraft they were testing on its maiden crewed voyage, suffered propulsion issues, rendering it unsafe for their return. Initially designed as a short-duration flight, their journey instead became a months-long wait for a safe return option.
While their prolonged time in space is notable, it falls short of the 371-day record set by NASA astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023, or the world record of 437 continuous days set by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov aboard the Mir space station. However, the circumstances of their extended mission—being stranded far from home with limited supplies—made their situation unique. Additional clothing and personal care items had to be sent up, as they had only packed for a brief trip.
The Final Countdown
NASA and SpaceX are closely monitoring conditions for the return journey, which will be broadcast live starting Monday evening, as hatch closure preparations begin. This long-awaited homecoming will mark the end of an unexpected yet historic chapter in modern space exploration.
As Wilmore and Williams prepare to leave behind the weightlessness of space, they do so with the knowledge that they have contributed invaluable data to future missions—particularly regarding the resilience and adaptability required for prolonged human presence in orbit. Their experience will likely shape the future of space travel as NASA and its partners continue to push the boundaries of human exploration.
For now, though, their focus is on something much simpler but just as monumental—setting foot on solid ground once again.