Sunita Williams' return: From Starliner snag to SpaceX splashdown – A 9-month space saga

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are finally back on Earth after an unexpected nine-month space adventure! Their mission, originally planned for just a week, stretched out thanks to a series of technical hiccups.

It all started last June when their Boeing Starliner ran into trouble, forcing NASA to send the spacecraft home empty. Wilmore and Williams were stuck on the ISS until SpaceX stepped in to bring them back. Even that wasn’t smooth — SpaceX capsule issues caused another delay.

Also Read: ISRO welcomes Sunita Williams upon return to Earth


But on Tuesday evening, their SpaceX capsule safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Tallahassee. Smiling and waving, the astronauts emerged soon after — mission complete!

Here's a timeline of the 9-month space odyssey;

June 5, 2024
Starliner launched from Cape Canaveral aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
The Crew Flight Test (CFT) aimed to assess Starliner’s capabilities before certification for routine astronaut transport.

June 6, 2024
Starliner’s thruster malfunctions delayed docking with the ISS.
Four out of five failed thrusters were restored, allowing successful docking on the second attempt.

June 18, 2024
NASA postponed Starliner’s return to address helium leaks and other technical concerns.
The delay extended Wilmore and Williams' stay beyond the original 10-day plan.

July 2, 2024
NASA extended the mission beyond the initial 45-day limit to further evaluate Starliner’s performance.

August 24, 2024
NASA confirmed Starliner would return to Earth without astronauts.
Wilmore and Williams were scheduled to return via Crew-9’s SpaceX Dragon capsule.

August 30, 2024
NASA adjusted Crew-9’s manifest, reserving two seats for Wilmore and Williams.

September 22, 2024
Sunita Williams assumed command of the ISS after Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko’s departure.

September 28, 2024
Crew-9 launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with astronauts Nick Hague (NASA) and Aleksandr Gorbunov (Roscosmos).
Two seats were reserved for Wilmore and Williams' return.

November 12, 2024
Williams addressed concerns about her health, confirming she was physically fit and stable.

December 17, 2024
NASA postponed Crew-9’s return to March 2025 following delays with Crew-10’s new Dragon spacecraft.

January 30, 2025
Williams conducted a 5.5-hour spacewalk with Wilmore, setting a record for the most cumulative EVA time by a female astronaut.

February 11, 2025
NASA moved up Crew-10’s launch by opting for a flight-proven Dragon capsule, Endurance.

March 14, 2025
Crew-10 launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, enabling Crew-9’s departure.

March 18, 2025 (March 19 in India)
Crew-9’s Dragon capsule, Freedom, undocked from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. EDT.
The capsule splashed down off the Florida coast at 5:57 p.m. EDT, successfully concluding the extended mission.

With inputs from agencies