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Last Updated:March 19, 2025, 00:26 IST
Sunita Williams Return Live Updates: The astronaut duo’s eight-day mission to the ISS last June became a months-long ordeal when the Boeing Starliner capsule, due to propulsion issues, was found unfit for their return to Earth.
NASA said that astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will return to Earth on March 18. (Courtesy: X/@Commercial_CreW)
Nasa Astronaut Sunita Williams Return Live Updates: Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, two veteran NASA astronauts who have been stuck on the Space Station for nine months, have begun their return to Earth on a long-awaited flight home to cap an unusual mission.
After a replacement crew arrived on the space station Saturday night, Wilmore, Williams, and two other astronauts are poised to undock from the ISS at 1:05 am ET (0505 GMT) Tuesday to begin a 17-hour trip back to Earth.
Stay tuned with News18.com for the latest updates.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Astronauts To Cover 17-Hour Journey Back To Earth
Sunita Williams and other accompanying astronauts will cover a 17-hour journey from the Space Station back to Earth. They departed from the ISS at 1:05 am EDT on Tuesday and are set to arrive at 4:45 pm EDT on Tuesday (3.27 am IST on Wednesday).
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Who Is Accompanying Sunita Williams?
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are accompanied by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
Hague and Borbunov had arrived at the Space Station on the SpaceX Dragon capsule.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Prayers Held At Dola Temple For Sunita Williams' Safe Return
People in Jhulasan, the native village of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, offered prayers at the Dola Mata temple for her safe return to Earth.
She is scheduled to land on Earth at 3.27 am on Wednesday.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Which Is The Spacecraft Aboard Which Astronauts Are Returning?
The astronauts are on their way back to Earth from the Space Station aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. The spacecraft is scheduled to land at around 3.27 am IST on Wednesday.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: At What Time Does NASA Go Live?
NASA’s live coverage of the landing would begin at 2.15 am IST on Wednesday on NASA+, X, and YouTube.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: What Did Nick Hague Say Before Departing For Earth?
Astronaut Nick Hague took to X and said that it’s been a “privilege” to call the Space Station home and play his part in its 25-year legacy of being involved in research for humanity.
“My spaceflight career, like most, is full of the unexpected,” he wrote.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Crew9 Will Be Difficult To Spot In Daytime As It Enters Earth Atmosphere, Says NASA
Crew9 will be difficult to spot in the daytime as the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft reenters the atmosphere of the Earth at 5:57 pm EDT, NASA said.
“#Crew9 will be difficult to spot in the daytime as it reenters Earth’s atmosphere, but if you want to keep an eye out for @SpaceX’s Dragon as it heads home today, we have the map for you,” it posted on X.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: When And Where To Watch Sunita Williams' Touchdown?
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and her colleague Butch Wilmore are all set to return to Earth in the early hours of Wednesday (according to Indian time). The touchdown of the spacecraft will be live-streamed on CNN-News18 channel, News18.com and the official X handle of NASA.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Astronauts Expected To Land On Earth At 3.27 AM IST
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are expected to splash off the Florida coast at 5:57 pm EDT (3.27 AM IST on March 19). They departed from the Space Station (ISS) at 10:35 am IST on March 18.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Who Are NASA Astronauts Who Were Stuck In Space For 9 Months?
The two test pilots came to NASA via the Navy. Wilmore, 62, played high school and college football in his home state of Tennessee before joining the Navy. Williams, 59, grew up in Needham, Massachusetts, a competitive swimmer and distance runner.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Nine-Month Space Mission's Timeline
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams reached the Space Station in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner for what was meant to be an eight-day test mission. However, technical issues with the spacecraft extended their stay indefinitely. In August, NASA determined that the duo would return aboard a SpaceX capsule instead, turning their brief trip into an unexpected nine-month mission.
Need Of The Hour Is To Rise To The Challenge: ISRO Chief V Narayanan
‘These setbacks happen in high technology missions, the need of the hour is to rise to the challenge and the engineers and scientists have been working around the clock to bring the astronauts back’, said ISRO chief V Narayanan
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Why Did The Stuck Astronauts Switch Space Taxis?
Astronauts almost always fly back in the same spacecraft they launched in. Wilmore and Williams launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner and will return in SpaceX’s Dragon.
Their first flights were aboard NASA’s space shuttle, followed by Russia’s Soyuz capsule. Both the Starliner and Dragon are completely autonomous but capable of manual command if necessary.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: What Happens After NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Land On Earth?
Williams and Wilmore will first be flown to their crew quarters at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for several days of health checks, per routine for astronaut returns, before flight surgeons approve they can go home to their families.
This is especially because living in space for months can affect the human body in multiple ways, from muscle atrophy to possible vision impairment.
Prayers On Lips, Celebrations On Ground: Sunita Williams' Ancestral Gujarat Village Plans 'Diwali'
With prayers on their lips, residents of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams’ ancestral village in Gujarat are waiting for her safe return to Earth with bated breath and planned Diwali-like festivities to mark the occasion on Wednesday morning.
Williams is scheduled to return to Earth after a nine-month stay at the Space Station.
She has been in the thoughts and prayers of the villagers, eagerly awaiting her safe return.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Sunita Williams Is 'Daughter of India', Says Jitendra Singh
Union Minister Jitendra Singh has called NASA astronaut Sunita Williams a “daughter of India”, as the world awaits her return along with Butch Wilmore, both of whom have spent nearly nine months on the Space Station.
Singh said the country is “proud” of her and praying for her safe return.
“…She (Sunita Williams), being a daughter of India, has made the entire world proud…She has successfully accomplished the task that she was assigned to. While all of us pray for a safe return, we also feel proud of her…A very pleasant coincidence is the fact that today itself, Prime Minister Modi made a statement on Maha Kumbh in the Parliament and incidentally, Sunita also expressed her best wishes for the Kumbh…,” Singh told ANI.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Why SpaceX's Dragon Takes 17 Hours While Russia's Soyuz Returns In Just 3.5 Hours
Unlike Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft, which can bring astronauts back to Earth in just 3.5 hours, the SpaceX Dragon capsule would take 17 hours to complete its return journey. The extended duration is due to several carefully planned factors that prioritize crew safety and landing accuracy.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Will Be Carried On Stretchers After Reaching Earth
Nasa astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague are expected to reach earth on March 19; the splashdown is expected at 3.27am as per Indian Standard Time. Fans and followers of the astronauts who have been praying for their safe return are worried about their health, especially how they will adjust to the earth’s gravitational force.
“A lot of them don’t want to be brought out on a stretcher, but they’re told they have to be,” John DeWitt, director of applied sports science at Rice University in Texas and a former senior scientist at Nasa’s Johnson Space Center told Live Science. He has developed methods to improve astronaut health during spaceflight.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Ahead Of Gaganyaan, ISRO Chief ‘Looks For Lessons’ From ISS Mission
ISRO chief V Narayanan spoke exclusively to CNN-News18, expressing hope that the astronauts will return safely. The Indian space agency chief also noted the challenges involved in a complex mission of this nature.
“When we talk about space systems, the challenges are inbuilt. There is a small leakage of the helium, and to isolate some of the thrusters, manual motors are docked. Madam (Sunita Williams) was there for almost nine months and is now returning, and it is going to be a very exciting moment like any other citizen of this country. I am happy and as a space scientist, I am confident that she will be returning safely,” he said.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Where Will The Spacecraft Touchdown?
The spacecraft, Elon Musk-led SpaceX’s Dragon, will splash down off the coast of the American state of Florida around 3:27 am IST Wednesday.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: What Caused The Extended Stay?
The duo, who had initially planned to stay at the ISS for eight days, have been stuck in space for nine months after technical issues developed on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
During their approach to the ISS, five of the 28 thrusters of the Starliner spacecraft carrying Williams and Wilmore failed, which extended their trip from days to months in space. Their extended delay fuelled health concerns as pictures showed Williams undergoing a drastic weight loss.
They were set to return to the Earth on SpaceX’s Crew-9 Dragon capsule, which was scheduled to arrive in February 2025. However, NASA said on Tuesday that Crew-10, which would relieve Crew-9 and the stranded pair, would now launch no earlier than March 2025, and both teams would remain on board for a “handover period”.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Will NASA Pay Sunita Williams For Overtime?
If anyone is wondering if the two stranded astronauts are being paid overtime for their stay at the ISS, the short answer is no. According to retired NASA astronaut Cady Coleman, Williams and Wilmore are getting their regular salary and no overtime, while NASA takes care of transportation, lodging and food.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: NASA's Stuck Astronauts Welcome Their Newly Arrived Replacements
Earlier today, a SpaceX crew capsule arrived at the Space Station, delivering the replacements for NASA’s two stuck astronauts.
The four newcomers — representing the US, Japan and Russia — will spend some time learning the station’s ins and outs from Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Sunita Williams' Ancestral Village In Gujarat Plans Fireworks
Residents of NASA astronaut Sunita Williams’ ancestral village in Gujarat’s Mehsana district are gearing up for Diwali-like festivities on Wednesday morning to celebrate her scheduled return to Earth after a nine-month stay at the Space Station.
Williams has been in the thoughts and prayers of the villagers, eagerly awaiting her safe return.
NASA Astronauts Head Home On SpaceX Capsule
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams departed the Space Station early on Tuesday morning in a SpaceX capsule for a long-awaited trip back to Earth, nine months after their faulty Boeing Starliner craft upended what was to be a roughly week-long test mission.
Wilmore and Williams, two veteran NASA astronauts and retired U.S. Navy test pilots, strapped inside their Crew Dragon spacecraft along with two other astronauts and undocked from the orbiting laboratory at 1.05 a.m. ET (0505 GMT), embarking on a 17-hour trip to Earth.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Dragon Spacecraft To Touchdown On Earth In 17 Hours
The journey from the Space Station to Florida’s coast will take 17 hours.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Where Will The Spacecraft Touchdown?
It will splashdown off the coast of Florida, USA
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Sunita Williams And Butch Wilmore Spent 286 Days In Space
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have spent 286 days in space—longer than a typical six-month ISS mission but shorter than the record 371-day stay set by NASA astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Dr Jitendra Singh On PM Modi's Letter To Williams
On PM Modi’s letter to NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said, “…She (Sunita Williams) being a daughter of India has made the entire world proud. She’s returning after more than 600 days, which is a record of sorts and has successfully accomplished the task that she was assigned to. While all of us pray for a safe return, we also feel proud of her…A very pleasant coincidence is the fact that today itself, Prime Minister Modi made a statement on Maha Kumbh in the Parliament and incidentally, Sunita also expressed her best wishes for the Kumbh…There is a very deep connection between her and India and of course Gujarat, the state that she belongs to. This is also an indication of the fact that most of the space agencies outs…
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: What 9 Months In Space Could Do To Sunita Williams And Butch Wilmore’s Health?
In space, astronauts are subjected to an environment that is harsher than the Earth. They are subjected to radiation, gravity, the effect of the powerful magnetic fields, and emotional distress.
After they return to Earth, Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore may face difficulty in standing, walking, or even balancing their bodies, which would yet be required to adjust to the change in gravity.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: When Will Splashdown Begin?
NASA said that the splashdown process will begin at 4:45 pm ET which is 2:15 am IST on Wednesday.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Departure Phase 2 Burn Completed
As per NASA, the phase 2 of departure burn was completed at 04.55 am Eastern Time (02.25 pm IST). The next burn in expected to take place in an interval of about 11 hours.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: What Time Will She Return To Earth?
Williams and Wilmore will be touching down Earth at 3:27 am on Wednesday.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: When And Where To Watch Sunita Williams Journey Back?
NASA has already started their live broadcast of SpaceX Crew-9’s return to Earth from the Space Station, starting with the preparation to close the Dragon spacecraft hatch.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Sunita Williams’ Salary
Williams falls under the GS-15 category, and her annual salary is nearly Rs 1.26 crore, according to NASA records. Besides salaries, NASA astronauts also receive several benefits, including health insurance, travel allowances, and psychological support for them and their family members.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: All About SpaceX’s ‘Dragon’ Capsule
The Dragon spacecraft can carry up to seven passengers on missions to Earth orbit and beyond. According to SpaceX, it is the only spacecraft currently capable of returning substantial amounts of cargo to Earth and was the first private spacecraft to transport humans to the space station.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: PM Modi Writes To Sunita Williams
PM Modi wrote to NASA astronaut Sunita Williams.
As the whole world waits, with abated breath, for the safe return of Sunita Williams, this is how PM Sh @narendramodi expressed his concern for this daughter of India.“Even though you are thousands of miles away, you remain close to our hearts,” says PM Sh Narendra Modi’s… pic.twitter.com/MpsEyxAOU9
— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) March 18, 2025
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: When Will Splashdown Begin? NASA Said This
NASA said that the splashdown process will begin at 4:45 pm ET which is 2:15 am Indian Standard Time.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE Updates: Sunita Williams Confirms Hatch Status With Space Center
Sunita Williams said, “We have a couple of questions about the hatch status. For starters, there is no credible way to open hatch with delta pressure. Looking to confirm if base of the indicator aligns with the marker.”
