Astronauts To Get Back To Earth Tomorrow

Photo: NASA SUNITA WILLIAMS

India-West News Desk

TAMPA, FL – NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to return to Earth on March 18, after spending over nine months aboard the International Space Station. The astronauts’ return is scheduled to take place with a splashdown off the Florida coast at approximately 5:57 p.m. local time (21:57 GMT).

Williams and Wilmore’s return comes after an unexpected delay. The two astronauts were originally part of a June 2024 test mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. However, the spacecraft experienced propulsion issues and was deemed unfit for the return trip, leaving Williams and Wilmore stranded on the ISS. Since then, they have been waiting for a replacement shuttle to bring them home.

On March 16, SpaceX Crew Dragon successfully docked with the ISS, carrying American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. They are slated to replace Williams and Wilmore aboard the space station. The scheduled return of Williams and Wilmore had initially been set for March 19, but NASA adjusted the timeline for operational flexibility and to accommodate less favorable weather conditions expected later in the week.

In a video shared on March 17, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted a message from the two astronauts, thanking both Musk and President Donald Trump for their support in ensuring their return. Williams expressed her excitement, saying, “We are coming back before long, so don’t make those plans without me. We’ll be back before too long.”

President Trump also expressed his enthusiasm for their return, promising to personally greet the astronauts upon their arrival: “When they come back, I’ll greet them. How about that?”

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