Sunita Williams and her fellow Crew-9 astronauts have officially begun their journey back to Earth after their spacecraft successfully undocked from the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Crew Dragon “Freedom” separated from the station at 1:05 a.m. EDT (10:35 a.m. IST), setting the stage for their highly anticipated return.
Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived at the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner, marking the spacecraft’s first crewed mission. However, technical issues with Starliner’s propulsion system forced NASA to reconsider their return plan. Instead of using Starliner as intended, NASA extended their stay on the ISS while determining a safe alternative.
After months of uncertainty, NASA opted to bring them home aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, joining NASA’s Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov for the journey back. The mission, which was originally planned to last just a few months, has now stretched into a nine-month stay in orbit.
With the undocking now complete, Crew Dragon will continue its carefully timed descent towards Earth. The next key event will be the deorbit burn, scheduled for 5:11 p.m. EDT (2:41 a.m. IST, March 19), which will slow the spacecraft down and begin its reentry.
The final splashdown is expected at 5:57 p.m. EDT (3:27 a.m. IST, March 19) off the Florida coast, where SpaceX recovery teams will be standing by to retrieve the crew.
- March 18, 1:05 a.m. EDT (10:35 a.m. IST) – Crew Dragon undocks from ISS
- March 18, 5:11 p.m. EDT (2:41 a.m. IST, March 19) – Deorbit burn (approximate)
- March 18, 5:57 p.m. EDT (3:27 a.m. IST, March 19) – Splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean
- March 18, 7:30 p.m. EDT (5:00 a.m. IST, March 19) – NASA’s post-splashdown press briefing
NASA and SpaceX are streaming the entire return live, allowing space enthusiasts to follow every step of the journey. Coverage will continue through the deorbit burn, reentry, and splashdown, with expert commentary on the mission and the challenges of Earth reentry.
Sunita Williams is one of NASA’s most experienced astronauts, having logged over 300 days in space across multiple missions. Her extended stay aboard the ISS makes this mission particularly remarkable.
This return also highlights SpaceX’s growing dominance in crewed spaceflight, stepping in where Boeing’s Starliner failed. With NASA increasingly relying on Crew Dragon for safe and efficient astronaut transport, this mission could influence future decisions about crew rotations and spacecraft reliability.
For space enthusiasts and Williams’ fans alike, this return marks the end of an unexpectedly long mission—and a thrilling new chapter in her spaceflight career.
