NASA confirmed Tuesday that “stranded” astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to return to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. Initially launched in June 2024 as part of Boeing’s Crew Flight Test with an expected stay of about eight days, the duo faced extended delays due to technical issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The Dragon is set to splash down in the Gulf of America early Tuesday evening.
Joining them for the journey home are their Crew-9 teammates, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who launched to the ISS on September 28, 2024, via SpaceX’s Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A. Together, the four have conducted critical research during their extended stay, including time-sensitive experiments slated for return.
Dragon on-orbit shortly after undocking from the @Space_Station pic.twitter.com/lxmTIJuf99
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 18, 2025
According to SpaceX schedule, The Dragon spacecraft hatch closure preparations started at 10:45 p.m. EDT on March 17, and the craft successfully undocked from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. EDT Tuesday. After completing orbit-lowering maneuvers and jettisoning its trunk, the spacecraft is scheduled to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, culminating in a splashdown at approximately 5:57 p.m. EDT, about 17 hours after undocking.
Dragon’s Return / SpaceX
Mission managers from NASA and SpaceX convened on Sunday to evaluate weather and splashdown conditions off Florida’s coast. Favorable forecasts for Tuesday evening prompted an earlier return target, allowing the crew sufficient time to complete their tasks while avoiding less favorable weather expected later in the week. The exact splashdown location will be determined by factors such as spacecraft readiness, recovery team preparedness, and sea states.
NASA will broadcast the splashdown starting one hour before the Dragon’s scheduled return at 4:57 p.m. EDT. Viewers can tune in via NASA’s website or SpaceX’s X account.
– – –
Christina Botteri is the Executive Editor of The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow her on X at @christinakb.
Photo “NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Suni Williams, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov” by NASA.
