A pair of US astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, are set to return to Earth on Tuesday evening after spending over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), according to NASA.
The astronauts will be returning home alongside another American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which docked with the ISS early Sunday. Wilmore and Williams were originally supposed to fly back after a short mission, but a propulsion issue with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft during its maiden crewed voyage left them stranded since June.
NASA announced that the splashdown is now scheduled for approximately 5:57 PM Eastern Time (2157 GMT) off the Florida coast, ahead of unfavorable weather conditions projected for later in the week. This adjustment provides the remaining ISS crew ample time for handover duties while ensuring operational flexibility.
Joining Wilmore and Williams on the return journey will be NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, with the entire mission set to be broadcast live starting Monday evening, when hatch closure preparations will begin.
This unprecedented extended stay for Wilmore and Williams lasted significantly longer than the typical six-month rotation for astronauts aboard the ISS, prompting public interest and sympathy as they awaited their return home. Although their time in space was extensive, it remains shorter than the US record of 371 days set by astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023 and the world record of 437 days held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov aboard the Mir space station. Despite facing challenges, the astronauts received additional supplies, including clothing and personal care items, to prepare for their return.
