When Will Sunita Williams Return to Earth? SpaceX and NASA Send Mission to Bring Her Back

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): After being stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for the past nine months, astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally set to return to Earth. SpaceX, in collaboration with NASA, launched the Crew-10 mission to bring the astronauts back. The Dragon spacecraft was sent to the ISS aboard the Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The launch took place at 7:03 pm local time on Friday, March 15.

Liftoff of Crew-10! pic.twitter.com/OOLMFQgA52

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 14, 2025

Williams and Wilmore arrived at the ISS in June of the previous year aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, initially for a brief mission. However, due to a malfunction with the Starliner, their return was delayed, and the spacecraft was sent back to Earth empty. Since then, the two astronauts have been spending their days in space for an extended period. NASA confirmed that they would return on March 16.

The Crew-10 mission also carries four new astronauts to the ISS: Anne McClain and Nicole Ayers from NASA, Takuya Onishi from Japan's Space Agency (JAXA), and Kirill Peskov from Roscosmos. Although NASA had initially stated that the spacecraft would arrive at the ISS on March 15, Williams and Wilmore will remain aboard for a few more days, with no specific return date yet announced.

The mission and its timing have stirred controversy, particularly following remarks by SpaceX owner Elon Musk. Musk, an ally of former President Donald Trump, claimed that President Joe Biden had not acted quickly to bring the astronauts back. However, Musk did not provide evidence to support his statement, which has caused a stir in the space community.

In September, two astronauts were brought back from SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, but Williams and Wilmore were not among them, even though space was available. Recently, Musk also suggested that the ISS may need to be decommissioned soon, to which Sunita Williams responded without naming anyone, stating that the station remains in excellent condition and is crucial for scientific research. She emphasized that the ISS is a remarkable place, and it is not the right time to shut it down.

Williams’ long-awaited return marks a significant moment in space exploration, as her extended stay aboard the ISS will soon come to an end.