NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to splash down on Earth on March 16, 2025, aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, wrapping up an unexpected ten-month stay on the International Space Station (ISS). Launched in June 2024 for a short test flight on Boeing’s Starliner, their mission ballooned after technical glitches left them stranded in orbit.

The duo blasted off on June 5, 2024, from Cape Canaveral to test Starliner’s systems, expecting to return within days. But thruster malfunctions and helium leaks rendered the spacecraft unsafe for crewed reentry. Starliner landed empty in September 2024, and Williams and Wilmore stayed on the ISS, joining its ongoing crew. Williams took command of the station and set a new record for a woman’s total spacewalking time at 62 hours and 6 minutes, while both tackled research and maintenance.

Their ride home arrives with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which has been docked at the ISS since September 2024 as part of a mission that brought astronauts Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov. Two seats were reserved for Williams and Wilmore. A new team, launching March 12, 2025, with Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi, and Kirill Peskov, will take over their duties after a brief handover. On March 16, Williams and Wilmore will depart with Hague and Gorbunov, landing off Florida’s coast if weather holds.

The extended 285-day mission tested their adaptability, but both thrived. Williams called it a “unique challenge,” proving their grit. Their return marks the end of a saga that turned a routine test into a testament to NASA’s problem-solving prowess.