Two American astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months, are finally set to return to Earth on Tuesday evening (March 18, 2025), NASA announced.

They will travel back with fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. The Dragon capsule reached the ISS early on Sunday to bring them home.

Why were they stuck?

Wilmore and Williams originally travelled to the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing's new Starliner spacecraft, which was on its first-ever crewed mission. However, the spacecraft experienced serious propulsion issues, making it unsafe for their return journey. This left the duo stranded in space for months longer than planned.

Their mission was initially supposed to last only a few days, but they ended up spending over nine months aboard the ISS — far longer than the usual six-month astronaut rotation.

NASA worked on multiple backup plans to ensure their safe return. Eventually, the decision was made to bring them back on SpaceX’s reliable Crew Dragon instead.

Return scheduled earlier than expected

NASA said the astronauts' return was moved up to Tuesday at 5:57 p.m. (2157 GMT), instead of the originally planned Wednesday. This change gives the remaining ISS crew enough time to complete handover tasks and avoids bad weather predicted later in the week.

“The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected for later in the week,” NASA explained in a statement.

The journey back to Earth will be streamed live, starting Monday evening when preparations to close the capsule hatch begin.

Wilmore and Williams' extended stay, though shorter than record-setting missions, became an emotional story. They ran out of clothes and personal care items, and NASA had to send extra supplies. Many people have followed their journey with sympathy and support, hoping for their safe return.

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