Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are set to return to Earth on Tuesday, March 18, after a much longer space mission than expected. The two astronauts, along with NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, will depart from the International Space Station (ISS) in the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule known as "Freedom." They’ll splash down off the Florida coast later that evening, assuming everything goes smoothly.
You can catch their homecoming live through NASA’s stream or watch Space.com if NASA shares the feed. The live coverage starts on March 17 at 10:45 p.m. EDT, showing the closing hatches between Freedom and the ISS. They are expected to undock around 1:05 a.m. EDT on March 18. The livestream will pick back up at 4:45 p.m. EDT for the descent operations, with a planned deorbit burn at 5:11 p.m. EDT and splashdown approximately 46 minutes later. However, this schedule could change due to weather and other factors.
NASA emphasizes that they are monitoring conditions closely. "Mission managers need to consider weather, sea states, and the readiness of the spacecraft and recovery teams," according to a recent update from the agency.
Interestingly, Wilmore and Williams were supposed to return much earlier. They launched to the ISS last June as part of Boeing’s first crewed Starliner mission, which was originally meant to last about ten days. But due to thruster issues with the Starliner, their return was delayed. NASA ultimately determined it was better to bring Starliner back uncrewed in early September and transition Wilmore and Williams into a long-term mission aboard the ISS.
Their journey back now involves the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which arrived at the ISS in late September. Freedom brought Hague and Gorbunov to the ISS but had empty seats reserved for Wilmore and Williams on their return.
Their unique situation has attracted notable attention, with figures like President Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk referring to them as "stranded" in space. Musk has even suggested that political reasons led to their extended stay.
As a point of interest, a recent survey showed that a growing number of people are fascinated by space travel, with 68% of Americans saying they are keen on space exploration. Social media trends also reflect this, with users actively sharing their excitement over upcoming missions and astronaut experiences.
For more about the science and technology behind space missions, check out NASA’s latest insights on human spaceflight challenges.
Wilmore and Williams’ journey highlights the complexities of space travel and the dedication required of astronauts. As they prepare for their splashdown, many are eager to witness this remarkable moment in human space exploration.
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