Sunita Williams Return LIVE: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to finally return to earth after an extended nearly nine months stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Billionaire Elon Musk-owned Space X’s Dragon 10, carrying, Crew 10, which will replace Sunita Williams, and other Crew 9 astronauts, successfully docked at the ISS on March 16, after previous attempts by SpaceX and Boeing last year failed to take off due to various reasons.
When is Sunita Williams returning to Earth?
NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, along with fellow Crew-9 astronaut Butch Wilmore, is set to return on March 18, 2024. (March 19 For Indian Users)
Departure from ISS: 1:05 AM EDT / 10:35 AM IST (March 18)
Expected Water Landing (Near Florida): 5:57 PM EDT / 3:27 AM IST (March 19, India Time)
How long has Sunita Williams spent in space?
Sunita Williams has spent nearly nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of NASA’s Crew-9 mission.
NASA’s mission managers are targeting for an “ early return” for the Crew-9, if conditions remain favourable. Thus, the March 18 time and date was announced, while previously, NASA had announced that Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore would depart no earlier than March 19.
What role does SpaceX play in the mission?
Elon Musk-owned SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will be responsible for safely bringing Sunita Williams and Crew-9 back to Earth. Dragon 10, carrying Crew-10 astronauts, successfully docked at the ISS on March 16 and will take over ISS operations.
Sunita Williams officially handed over ISS command to Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, who will lead operations for the next six months.
Who is returning to Earth with Sunita Williams?
Along with Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, the following astronauts from Crew-9 will also return to Earth:
- Nick Hague (NASA astronaut)
- Aleksandr Gorbunov (Russian cosmonaut)
How can you watch NASA’s live stream of Sunita Williams’ return?
NASA will provide real-time coverage of Sunita Williams’ Earth return via their official live stream. Viewers can follow NASA’s website or Livemint’s YouTube channel for latest updates
Stay tuned for LIVE updates on NASA’s mission
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Who are the astronauts returning?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Along with Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, the following astronauts from Crew-9 will also return to Earth:
Nick Hague (NASA astronaut)
Aleksandr Gorbunov (Russian cosmonaut)
Sunita Willams Return LIVE: Astronauts seen packing for return home
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov were seen packing ahead of their departure using the SpaceX Dragon Crew9 today, ANI reported.
The NASA livestream showed the astronauts preparing to leave the ISS.
Speaking to the camera, Hague said, “It’s been a privilege to call the Space Station home, to play my part in its 25-year legacy of doing research for humanity, and to work with colleagues, now friends, from around the globe. My spaceflight career, like most, is full of the unexpected.”
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: When will Sunita Williams reach Earth in IST?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are scheduled to undock from the ISS at 1:05 am EDT on Tuesday (March 18).
The crew is expected to splash down off the coast of Florida at approximately 5:57 pm EDT the same day.
For Indian watchers, this means they will depart the ISS at 10.35 am IST today and reach Earth early in the morning tomorrow around 3.27 am IST (March 19).
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: When will Sunita Williams return to Earth?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Accoridng to NASA, Sunita Williams and other astronauts will likely reach Earth around 5:57pm ET, Tuesday.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: What happened so far?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams have been stranded on the ISS for over nine months. The astronauts were scheduled to stay there for nearly a week. They used Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for the journey.
However, the plans changed after Starliner reported “helium leaks” and “issues with the spacecraft reaction control thrusters” while docking with the ISS, reported Fox News.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to leave space station on March 19
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will leave the International Space Station by March 19, reported ANI. \
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore thank Donald Trump and Elon Musk
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Ahead of their return to Earth, NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore expressed gratitude for SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and US President Donald Trump.
In the video Musk posted on X, Sunita Williams said, “We are coming back soon, so don’t make those plans without me. We’ll be back before too long.”
Butch Wilmore stated, “All of us have the utmost respect for Mr Musk and obviously respect and admiration for our President of the United States, Donald Trump. We appreciate them, we appreciate all that they do for us, human spaceflight for our nation, and we’re thankful for the positions they are in.”
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Dragon to undock from ISS at 1:05 A.M. ET on Tuesday
SpaceX and NASA plan to undock Dragon from the ISS on Tuesday, March 18 at 1:05 a.m. ET.
Dragon will perform departure burns, lower its orbit, jettison the trunk, and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere as part of return journey.
The spacecraft is expected to splash down off the coast of Florida approximately 17 hours later, as per SpaceX website.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Crew-9 hatch closure to splashdown schedule revealed
NASA Live Coverage Schedule (Eastern Time)
Monday, March 17
10:45 p.m. – Hatch closing coverage begins on NASA+
Tuesday, March 18
12:45 a.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+
1:05 a.m. – Undocking
Post-Undocking: NASA switches to audio-only coverage
Pending Weather: Live coverage resumes before deorbit burn
4:45 p.m. – Return coverage resumes on NASA+
5:11 p.m. – Approximate time for deorbit burn
5:57 p.m. – Approximate splashdown time
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: NASA’s Crew-9 completes final experiments
Crew-9’s activities marked the final preparations before undocking and heading back to Earth.
Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov completed advanced human research experiments.
Hague’s experiment: Tested electrical muscle stimulation on his legs as a supplement to space exercise.
Gorbunov’s experiment: Used a lower body negative pressure suit to study fluid shifts and their effects on head and eye pressure in space.
Wilmore and Williams conducted standard station maintenance and inspections on their final shift.
Crew-9 packed and secured cargo inside the Dragon spacecraft for the return journey.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Crew-9 splashdown expected off Florida coast at approx 5:57 pm EDT on Tuesday
NASA’s Crew-9 returning to Earth aboard the Dragon spacecraft.
Nick Hague leading the crew.
Crew members: NASA astronauts Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
Undocking scheduled from the ISS Harmony module’s space-facing port at 1:05 a.m. EDT on Tuesday (March 18).
Splashdown expected off the coast of Florida at approximately 5:57 p.m. EDT on Tuesday (March 18).
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Trump blasts Biden, credits himself for astronauts’ planned return from ISS
US President Donald Trump claimed he spoke with NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro about expediting the return of astronauts.
NASA agreed to bring astronauts home earlier than the originally approved two-week period.
Petro reportedly told Trump, “Let’s bring them home NOW, Sir!”
Trump accused the Biden administration of forgetting about the astronauts and called it an “embarrassing event.”
Trump said he asked Elon Musk to launch a SpaceX Dragon mission to bring back the “abandoned” astronauts.
SpaceX Dragon has successfully docked, and astronauts are expected to return soon.
The astronauts are set to take off tomorrow and land on Wednesday, with exact times to be provided later.
Trump assured that “maximum standards” are being followed for a safe return.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: NASA, SpaceX target earlier Crew-9 return amid favorable weather
NASA stated that its officials met SpaceX officials to assess weather and splashdown conditions off Florida’s coast.
NASA said mission managers are now targeting an earlier return for Crew-9 based on favorable weather.
Splashdown is planned for the evening of Tuesday (March 18) ET.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: NASA to livestream SpaceX Crew-9 return to earth
NASA will livestream SpaceX Crew-9’s return to Earth from the International Space Station, starting with Dragon spacecraft hatch closure preparations at 10:45 p.m. EDT on Monday (March 17).
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: What time will Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore depart from space?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: If the conditions are favourable, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are likely to depart from ISS around 1:05 am ET, Tuesday.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: What can delay Sunita William’s return?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Dragon’s undocking from ISS depends on various factors, such as recovery team readiness, weather, sea states; which can affect Sunita Williams and other astronauts’ homecoming.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: ‘Always had a way to come home…’ asserts NASA
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Post Crew 10’s lift-off, NASA mission leaders asserted that the astronauts ‘always had a way to come back home’.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Who are the other astronauts returning with Sunita Williams?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Sunita Williams, and Butch Wilmore have been in space since June. The other astronauts, Hague and Gorbunov, who went to the ISS in September, would also be returning with Williams.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: When will the NASA astronauts return to Earth?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore and other astronauts are likely to return to Earth on Tuesday, ET.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Is Sunita William’s health in danger?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Experts have been worried that it won’t be easy for Sunita Williams and other astronauts to adapt to earth’s ways after spending 9 months in space. Here’s what could happen
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Moments before the Dragon docked at ISS| Watch video
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Space X shared a video of the Dragon, moments before it docked at the ISS. Here’s the footage
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Will Sunita Williams’ return be delayed again?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: The Dragon 10 carrying Sunita Williams and other astronauts is likely to splashdown on Tuesday. The spacecraft’s docking, however, depends on various factors like spacecraft readiness and sea states.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: What went wrong with Williams and Wilmore’s spacecraft?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Starliner, the spacecraft carrying Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, suffered thruster problems, due to which their return was delayed.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Crew 10 members welcomed with smiles
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were all smiles while receiving Crew 10 astronauts at the ISS.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Who would take charge of the ISS? See pic
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: The Crew 10 astronauts would be in charge of the ISS post Crew 9’s return. Here’s a glimpse
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Sunita Williams Return LIVE: NASA to host press conference post Sunita’s return
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Post the astronauts’ return, NASA is scheduled to host a press conference at 7:30 pm ET Tuesday; which is 4:45 am IST Wednesday.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: ‘helped us get here…’ Crew 10 astronaut thanks mission leaders
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: “We have a lot of exciting work ahead of us that we are looking forward to. Again, thank you very much to everybody who helped us to get here,” said Takuya Onishi of Crew 10, after Dragon’s docking.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Would Sunita Williams return be delayed again?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Although NASA has been targeting an ‘early’ return for Williams, the Dragon’s undocking depends on spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states and other factors.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: NASA shares schedule of Sunita Williams’ return
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Sunita Williams is likely to return to Earth on Tuesday, March 18 ET. Here’s the schedule:
1:05 am ET ( 10 am IST) – Undocking
5:57 pm ET ( 3:30 am IST ) – Splashdown
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Space X shares glimpses of Crew 10 launch| See pic
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: The Crew 10 lifted off for the ISS on Friday, ET. Here’s a glimpse
View Full Image
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Here’s what you didn’t know about Space X’s Dragon
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Space X’s Dragon is capable of carrying up to 7 passengers to and from Earth orbit, and beyond. It is the first private spacecraft to take humans to the space station.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Crew 10 ‘burns’ some parts while docking? Here’s what happened
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Durig its flight to the ISS; Dragon executed a series of burns that positioned the vehicle closer to the station.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Will Sunita Williams get overtime salary?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Sunita Williams’ space mission was intended for 8 days, which got expanded into 9 months. Here’s how much NASA would pay her
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: When did the NASA astronauts embark into space?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Sunita Willams, Butch Wilmore embarked into space on June 5, last year. They have spent nearly 9 months in space, till date.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: When will Sunita Williams return to Earth? NASA says…
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: NASA estimates that Sunita Williams could return to Earth at 5:57 pm ET Tuesday, which is 3 am IST Wednesday.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: When will Space X’s spacecraft undock from ISS?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: The Dragon is expected to undock from ISS at 1:05 am ET, Tuesday, which is 10:30 am IST, same day.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Space X shares glimpse of Dragon’s docking | Watch video
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Space X’s Dragon, carrying the Crew 10, docked at the ISS on Sunday, March 16 ET. Here’s a glimpse
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Who are the other astronauts returning with Sunita Williams?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: NASA’s Nick Hague, and Roscosmos’ Aleksandr Gorbunov would also return with Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, said NASA.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Who will be in charge of ISS now?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: The Crew 10 astronauts will now take charge of the ISS. Onishi, NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, and Kirill Peskov are a part of Crew 10.
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: When will Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore return?
Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are likely to splashdown at 5:57 pm ET Tuesday, which is around 3 am IST Wednesday.