NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have commenced their return to Earth after spending over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The duo, along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, undocked from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. ET on March 18, 2025, aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Originally, Williams and Wilmore were scheduled for an eight-day mission to test Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. However, technical issues with the Starliner led to an extended stay on the ISS, prolonging their mission to over 280 days.

The Crew Dragon's return journey is expected to last approximately 17 hours, with a scheduled splashdown off the coast of Florida around 5:57 p.m. ET on March 18. NASA is providing live coverage of the return process, including the undocking and anticipated splashdown.

The extended mission has drawn attention, with political figures like former President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk commenting on the delay. Despite the prolonged stay, both astronauts have maintained their health and are in good spirits as they embark on their journey back to Earth.

For real-time updates and live coverage of the Crew-9 return, viewers can tune into NASA's official channels.