NASA Astronauts Return: A 17-Hour Journey Back from Space

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, after a nine-month stay on the ISS, are set to return to Earth on Tuesday. Initially scheduled for Wednesday, the return was moved up due to weather. They will splashdown off Florida after a 17-hour trip aboard the Crew Dragon craft.

Nine months in space is about to conclude for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams as they prepare to begin their return from the International Space Station (ISS) early Tuesday morning. The duo embarked on an extended mission following complications with their initially scheduled Starliner spacecraft.

After replacement crew arrived, Wilmore and Williams, alongside two other astronauts, will undock from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. ET, heading back to Earth in a journey set to last 17 hours. Their splashdown, planned off the coast of Florida, remains dependent on prevailing weather conditions, with 5:57 p.m. ET marking their expected arrival.

The return signifies the culmination of their pivotal role in testing Boeing's Starliner. However, due to propulsion concerns, they transitioned to NASA's Crew-9 mission. Accompanied by NASA's Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who arrived in September via Crew Dragon, Wilmore and Williams are set for a triumphant Earth return.

(With inputs from agencies.)