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Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Starliner Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore Return to Earth with Crew-9


NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, alongside NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, have departed from the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Freedom. Their return journey started at 1:05 a.m. EDT on March 18, 2025, with undocking going down 420 kilometres above Earth close to Guam. The mission, which was initially deliberate as a short-term keep for Wilmore and Williams, prolonged into an surprising nine-month tenure aboard the ISS. Their return marks the completion of one of the extended spaceflights undertaken by astronauts launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

Return operations underway

As reported, in line with NASA, the descent operations will start at 4:45 p.m. EDT, with Freedom performing a deorbit burn at 5:11 p.m. EDT. The capsule is predicted to splash down off the coast of Florida within the Gulf of Mexico roughly 46 minutes later. NASA has confirmed that restoration groups are stationed close to the designated touchdown space, ready to retrieve the crew upon arrival. The prolonged period of Wilmore and Williams’ mission stemmed from technical issues associated to the Starliner spacecraft, necessitating their return by way of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.

Crew displays on prolonged mission

As per NASA’s stay broadcast, Hague, the commander of Freedom, acknowledged the importance of their mission, stating that dwelling and dealing aboard the ISS had been a privilege. He highlighted the worldwide collaboration that made the mission potential, underscoring the dedication of groups throughout completely different nations. Wilmore and Williams, who initially travelled to house on Boeing’s Starliner, had their return delayed attributable to ongoing evaluations of the spacecraft. Their extended keep concerned extra scientific analysis and station operations past their authentic task.

Live protection and restoration preparations

NASA has introduced that the re-entry and splashdown procedures can be broadcast stay, offering real-time updates because the crew completes their journey again to Earth. Recovery groups are anticipated to help the astronauts upon touchdown, after which medical assessments and debriefings will happen. With this return, NASA continues its evaluations of economic spacecraft efficiency, shaping future missions and transport capabilities for long-duration house journey.



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