Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore return to Earth: A look at stranded NASA astronauts extended stay mission on the ISS

TOI Science Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Mar 11, 2025, 18:00 IST

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NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to return on March 16, 2025, after a nearly nine-month mission on the ISS. Their mission, initially intended for 10 days, was extended due to technical issues. Despite the prolonged stay, they remained positive and contributed significantly to scientific research, space operations, and public engagement.

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore return to Earth: A look at stranded NASA astronauts extended stay mission on the ISS

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to return to Earth on March 16, after spending almost nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) according to ET reports. While their scheduled mission was meant to last only 10 days, an unexpected turn of events led to a prolonged stay that has captivated audiences worldwide.Take a closer look at their journey and the series of events that led to their extended mission.

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s space journey timeline

Event	Date	Details
Mission launch and issues	June 5, 2024	Williams and Wilmore’s 10-day mission was extended due to a "stable leak" on Boeing's Starliner.
Return delay announcement	August 2024	NASA confirmed their return would be delayed until early 2025 due to SpaceX mission issues.
Life on ISS and Thanksgiving	November 2024	The astronauts remained positive, reassuring the public during Thanksgiving.
Further return delays	December 2024	NASA delayed their return further to March-April 2025.
Public controversy	February 2025	Trump claimed they were "abandoned," but the astronauts denied it.
Final return countdown	March 2025	Return planned after Crew 10's launch, with backup dates.

Space timeline of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s March return

The original plan and unexpected problem (June 2024)
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were initially launched into space on June 5, 2024, aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Their mission was supposed to last just 10 days at the ISS. However, soon after launch, a technical issue—a "stable and isolated leak"—was detected. This problem caused their stay at the ISS to extend beyond the planned duration. As a result, what was meant to be an 8-day mission turned into a much longer stay, and their return was delayed.
Delay announcement (August 2024)
By August 2024, it became clear that the astronauts would not return to Earth in the fall as originally intended. NASA confirmed that the duo's return was delayed until early 2025, due to technical difficulties with the SpaceX mission that was supposed to bring them back. This delay was confirmed to extend their stay until February or March 2025, instead of the originally scheduled date.
Life on the ISS and thanksgiving (November 2024)
Despite the extended stay, Williams and Wilmore remained positive. During Thanksgiving in 2024, they were interviewed and reassured the public that they were safe and well on the ISS. Williams mentioned that they were staying healthy, working out, eating properly, and even enjoying their time aboard. This shows the resilience and professionalism of the astronauts, who made the best of their unusual circumstances.
Return delays continue (December 2024)
In December 2024, NASA officially announced another delay in their return to Earth. The return, originally planned for February 2025, was now pushed back further to March or April of 2025, again due to ongoing delays with the SpaceX mission. The astronauts continued their work at the ISS during this additional wait.
Controversial claims and public reaction (February 2025)
In February 2025, former President Donald Trump made a public statement suggesting that Williams and Wilmore had been “virtually abandoned” in space. However, the astronauts swiftly rebutted this claim, emphasising that they did not feel abandoned. They reassured the public that their safety was not in jeopardy and that they had everything they needed for their mission.
Final return countdown (March 2025)
The astronauts are now set to return to Earth in March 2025. NASA confirmed that their return would happen after the launch of another crew (Crew 10), but it is subject to favourable launch conditions. If Crew 10’s launch on March 12, 2025, is delayed for any reason, backup dates have been set for March 13 and March 14. This final return is the culmination of what was supposed to be a short mission but turned into a much longer and eventful experience.

What Sunita Williams did in her extended space mission

While she was on her extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS), Sunita Williams made important contributions to scientific research, space exploration, and station operations. Cheque below some of her contributions:

Leadership and command as ISS commander: Williams oversaw the crew's safety, operations, and well-being. She directed station daily activities and ensured operations continued uninterrupted while having responsibility for one of the largest engineering endeavours ever undertaken in space.

Scientific contributions: Williams spent more than 900 hours carrying out over 150 experiments. She conducted studies from biological science to technological development that would facilitate long-duration space missions, including plant growth and water recovery systems in microgravity experiments.

Space gardening and bio-manufacturing: She participated in experiments to determine how plants, such as lettuce, develop in space, a critical component of creating sustainable sources of food for future deep-space missions. Williams also helped in research on the impact of microgravity on bacteria and yeast, critical for bio-manufacturing food, medicine, and materials in space.

Physical adaptation in long-duration spaceflight: Williams maintained her physical well-being in line with daily exercise regimens to offset muscle and bone loss in microgravity. In spite of the stress, she remained upbeat and posted updates to the public, making them aware that her health was well taken care of.

Outreach and public engagement: Williams maintained morale by sending messages to individuals on Earth for special occasions, such as Diwali, Christmas, and New Year. She also communicated with students, wished athletes luck for the Paris 2024 Olympics, and stayed in contact with communities that were named after her.

Technical expertise and spacewalks: Williams' experience in spacewalks has totalled more than 62 hours of spacewalking, setting the record for the longest EVA time for any female astronaut. She engaged in various spacewalks, further adding to ISS maintenance and upgrading.

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