Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are set to return to Earth after 9 months. | (Photo Courtesy: X/@Commercial_Crew)
NASA astronauts Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams and Butch Wilmore, stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) for nine months, are finally set to return to Earth next week with their replacements arriving soon.
As per reports, they will hitch a ride home on SpaceX, joined by two astronauts who launched in September 2024, leaving two empty seats for them. Speaking from the ISS on Tuesday, March 4, Williams said the hardest part of the extended stay was the long wait for their families. “It’s been a roller coaster for them, probably a little more so than for us,” Williams told AP.
Sunita Williams Sets New Spacewalking Record
On January 30, Williams achieved a historic milestone by breaking the record for total spacewalking time, surpassing the previous record held by veteran astronaut Peggy Whitson.
During this record-setting spacewalk, Williams worked outside the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Expedition 72, focusing on essential maintenance and collecting surface material samples from the Destiny laboratory and Quest airlock for further study.
Sharing the news in January, ISS wrote on X, “NASA astronaut Suni Williams just surpassed former astronaut Peggy Whitson’s total spacewalking time of 60 hours and 21 minutes today. Suni is still outside in the vacuum of space removing radio communications hardware.”
Have a look at their tweet here:
Williams, identifiable by her spacesuit with red stripes, was accompanied by fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, who wore a plain suit. This marked the ninth spacewalk of Williams’ career and the fifth for Wilmore.
Both astronauts arrived at the ISS in 2024 as part of Expedition 72, which officially began on September 23. However, their return to Earth was significantly delayed due to technical issues with their Boeing Starliner capsule.
Now, after months of uncertainty, Williams and Wilmore are set to return aboard the Crew 9 mission, scheduled for late March 2025, wrapping up an extraordinary stay of nearly 300 days in space.
