WEB DESK: The meticulously planned departure process commenced at 11:20 PM (ET) on March 17, when the hatch of the Dragon capsule was securely sealed. Then, at approximately 1:05 AM (ET) on March 18, the capsule autonomously undocked from the International Space Station (ISS), officially signaling the beginning of their journey back to Earth.
Wilmore and Williams, two seasoned NASA astronauts and retired U.S. Navy test pilots, are returning to Earth after their mission aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft. They departed the International Space Station (ISS) at 1:05 a.m. ET (0505 GMT), initiating a 17-hour journey back home. The four-member crew, which is part of NASA’s Crew-9 mission, is expected to splash down off the coast of Florida later on Tuesday at approximately 5:57 p.m. ET.
“Crew-9 is heading home,” remarked commander Nick Hague as the spacecraft gradually distanced itself from the space station. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to consider the ISS as his home during this international collaboration aimed at advancing humanity’s interests.
According to NASA officials, the weather conditions at the splashdown site are anticipated to be ideal. Before undocking, the astronauts donned their re-entry suits, boots, and helmets, and were seen on NASA’s live feed sharing light-hearted moments with their fellow station crew members, posing for photos, and enjoying each other’s company prior to a two-hour countdown for final pressure, communication, and seal tests.
The return marks the end of a notably complex and prolonged mission for Wilmore and Williams, characterized by unexpected technical challenges. Initially launched in June as the first crew aboard Boeing’s Starliner for an eight-day test mission, their return was delayed due to unsettling issues with Starliner’s propulsion system. This situation prompted NASA to decide last year to utilize SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for their return as part of a regular crew rotation.
Their mission caught the attention of former President Donald Trump, who, upon taking office, called for a faster return for Wilmore and Williams and alleged that former President Joe Biden had “abandoned” them due to political motivations.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and an adviser to Trump, supported calls for a quicker return, further highlighting the pressures surrounding the development stages of Boeing’s Starliner, which aimed to compete against SpaceX’s development of Crew Dragon.
After splashdown, the astronauts will be transported to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for a few days of health evaluations, a standard procedure following an astronaut’s return from orbit, before being cleared by flight surgeons to reunite with their families.
Spending extended periods in space can have various effects on the human body, including muscle atrophy and potential vision issues. After their splashdown, Wilmore and Williams will have spent 286 days in space—longer than the typical six-month ISS mission, but still trailing behind the U.S. record of 371 days set by astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023, which resulted from an unexpected coolant leak on a Russian spacecraft.
Notably, this mission marks Williams’ third spaceflight, bringing her cumulative time in space to 608 days, making her the second-most experienced U.S. astronaut in terms of total time in orbit, following Peggy Whitson’s 675 days. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko established the worldwide record last year at an astounding 878 days in space.
“We came prepared to stay long, even though we planned to stay short,” Wilmore told reporters from space earlier this month, adding that he did not believe NASA’s decision to keep them on the ISS until Crew-10’s arrival had been affected by politics.
