LIVE: Splashdown: Global cheer as Sunita Williams and crew back on Earth
The four-member crew, including Sunita Williams, on board the SpaceX capsule, splashed down at 3.27 am IST Wednesday
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have made a safe return to Earth following their mission on the International Space Station (ISS). They travelled back aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which smoothly re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and landed in the waters off the coast of Florida, near Tallahassee. The milestone event unfolded at 3:27 am on Wednesday (March 19).
Williams and fellow NASA astronaut, Butch Wilmore, finally undocked from the ISS and left for Earth on board a SpaceX capsule at 10.35 am (IST) on Tuesday to close out a dramatic marathon mission that began with a bungled Boeing test flight more than nine months ago.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to Williams, inviting her to visit India. The letter, written on March 1, was sent through former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino.
‘Stuck at work’
Williams and Wilmore travelled to the ISS in June last year for a scheduled eight-day mission. However, they were forced to stay back as the Boeing Starliner capsule developed issues with its propulsion system.
The duo spent 286 days on the ISS, where they conducted over 4,500 orbits and travelled more than 121 million statute miles, NASA said in its commentary.
Their plight captured the world’s attention, giving new meaning to the phrase “stuck at work”. While other astronauts had logged longer spaceflights over the decades, none had to deal with so much uncertainty or see the length of their mission expand by so much.
With 62 hours over nine spacewalks, Williams set a new record: the most time spent spacewalking over a career among female astronauts.
Also read:
Live: NASA Crew-10 enters space station, welcomed with hugs and handshakes
Ex-DRDO chief's take on Sunita Williams' impending return | Dr.William Selvamurthy
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Live Updates
- 19 March 2025 1:54 AM
Duo did 900 hours of research during their space stint
Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator of Nasa's Space Operations Mission Directorate says that Suni and Butch did 150 experiments and 900 hours of research during their stint on the ISS.
Montalbano says the work that Nasa astronauts do "benefits the nation" and increases the chance that Nasa will hit its goal of landing a person on Mars by the end of the decade.
- 19 March 2025 1:20 AM
NASA, SpaceX wrap up press conference
NASA and SpaceX wrap up their post-splashdown press conference after successfully bringing Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth following an unexpected nine-month stay in space.
While Sunita and Butch did not attend the conference, NASA officials confirmed that both astronauts are doing well. However, they emphasised that readjusting to Earth’s gravity will take time, and the duo is currently undergoing medical evaluations before reuniting with their families.
The emotional return saw Sunita and Butch wave and smile as they emerged from the SpaceX Dragon capsule, which splashed down off the coast of Florida, surrounded by a pod of curious dolphins—a rare and heartwarming moment.
The duo had originally left Earth in June 2024 for a planned eight-day test mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule, but technical failures made the spacecraft unsafe for return, forcing them to extend their stay on the ISS for nearly 10 months.
- 19 March 2025 1:17 AM
'We shared coffee and good mornings with Crew-9,' says Crew-10 commander
COL Anne McClain, Crew-10's commander, posted on X, "This morning we shared coffee and “good mornings" with Crew-9, and tonight we are absolutely thrilled to see them safely back on Earth! Mission accomplished, Crew-9!"
- 19 March 2025 1:16 AM
'We always had a lifeboat', says NASA on ‘stuck’ astronauts' return
'We always had a lifeboat', a NASA official said while adding that they were waiting for “right time for their" return.
- 19 March 2025 12:39 AM
NASA’s Steve Stich highlights Boeing’s role in spaceflight resilience
Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, acknowledged Boeing’s role in today’s successful return. Despite earlier issues with Starliner, he said the mission showed the importance of having multiple vehicles. “We’re super grateful for Boeing and their investment,” he added.
- 19 March 2025 12:38 AM
NASA lauds astronauts’ resilience and adaptability
Steve Stich of NASA commended the resilience of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, along with their families, for adapting to an unexpected nine-month stay in space. He praised their seamless transition to life and work aboard the space station.
- 19 March 2025 12:36 AM
'We work for the President,' says NASA official
Asked whether the mission would’ve changed with a different 2024 election outcome, NASA’s Joel Montalbano said, “We work for the president.” He emphasised that NASA takes direction from any administration, keeping the focus on mission success and science.
- 19 March 2025 12:31 AM
"We are going to take some time to celebrate," says NASA
NASA, in its press conference, said that “we are going to take some time to celebrate”.
Sarah Walker, Director of SpaceX, said, “We are proud the team worked together”.
