Sunita Williams' Return LIVE Updates: SpaceX Crew-9 Back On Earth Safely After Arduous 9 Months
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, stranded at the International Space Station for over nine months, have safely returned to Earth few hours ago.
Williams and Wilmore splashed down alongside Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov from a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
Photo Credit: NASA/YouTube
NASA provided live coverage of the agency's SpaceX Crew-9 return to Earth from the International Space Station.
LIVE Updates:
Defence Minister Rajanath Singh on Sunita Williams' return to the Earth.
Delighted at the safe return of NASA’s #Crew9 on earth! The crew comprising of India’s daughter Sunita Williams and other astronauts have rewritten the history of human endurance and perseverance in Space.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) March 19, 2025
Sunita Williams’ incredible journey, unwavering dedication, fortitude…
On Sunita Williams returning back to Earth after being stranded at the International Space Station for 9 months, her cousin Dinesh Rawal says, "When she returned, we jumped with joy... I was so happy... Till yesterday, I had an unsettling feeling deep in my heart... God has listened to our prayers and brought our Suni back safely... Sunita is not an ordinary person... She will change the world..."
SpaceX Crew-9 carrying Sunita Williams returns to Earth safely.
Splashdown confirmed! #Crew9 is now back on Earth in their @SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. pic.twitter.com/G5tVyqFbAu
— NASA (@NASA) March 18, 2025
Crew9 will be difficult to spot in the daytime as it reenters Earth's atmosphere, but you can keep an eye out for SpaceX's Dragon as it heads home today, we have the map for you.
#Crew9 will be difficult to spot in the daytime as it reenters Earth's atmosphere, but if you want to keep an eye out for @SpaceX's Dragon as it heads home today, we have the map for you. pic.twitter.com/dGmSWXbOyv
— NASA (@NASA) March 18, 2025
NASA Astronauts' Return To Earth Live Streaming
NASA’s live coverage of the Crew-9 return mission will resume at 2:15 AM IST on Wednesday, March 19, via NASA+, leading up to Dragon’s scheduled splashdown at 3:27 AM IST off the Florida coast. Once the spacecraft lands in the Atlantic Ocean, recovery teams will retrieve the crew and transport them to shore, marking the successful completion of their mission.
The astronauts aboard Crew Dragon are attempting to get some well-deserved rest while their spacecraft handles the critical maneuvers. Over the past six hours, Crew Dragon has fired its thrusters approximately eight times, positioning itself precisely for reentry and splashdown.
With the descent scheduled for just before 3:30 AM IST, the crew is making the most of their last moments in zero gravity.
Sunita Williams, Butch WilmoreTo Be Carried On Stretchers After Landing
After returning to Earth, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will be carried on stretchers as a precaution. Astronauts often struggle to walk due to prolonged exposure to microgravity, which weakens muscles and affects balance. Fluid redistribution in space also causes a drop in blood pressure upon return, leading to dizziness or fainting. NASA follows this protocol to ensure their safe recovery.
Sunita Williams’ Ancestral Village In Gujarat Gears Up For Festive Homecoming
Residents of Sunita Williams’ ancestral village in Gujarat’s Mehsana district are preparing for a grand celebration, with fireworks and Diwali-like festivities, as she is set to return to Earth on Wednesday morning after a nine-month stay at the International Space Station. The village has been eagerly awaiting her safe return, keeping her in their prayers.
How Much Does Sunita Williams Earn As A NASA Astronaut?
Sunita Williams, classified under NASA's GS-15 pay grade, earns an estimated annual salary of around USD 152,258 (approx. INR 1.26 crore). NASA astronauts’ salaries vary based on their experience and mission roles, with those in the GS-13 grade earning between USD 81,216 (approx. INR 6.7 million) and USD 105,579 (approx. INR 8.77 million) annually, while senior astronauts in the GS-15 grade make between INR 7 million and INR 12.7 million per year.
How Sunita Williams Ended Up Stranded In Space
In June 2024, Sunita Williams and astronaut Butch Wilmore were aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft for its maiden crewed voyage. During their week-long space expedition, the spacecraft encountered propulsion issues. As a result, the space administration deemed the Starliner unfit to return the astronauts to Earth, leaving them stranded in space.
Beyond Experiments: How Sunita Williams Spent Her Time in Space
Sunita Williams kept busy in space beyond experiments, cultivating red romaine lettuce in the Advanced Plant Habitat under the Plant Habitat-07 project. Despite being over 400 km above Earth, she exercised her voting rights in the US Presidential election using encrypted ballots sent by NASA’s Mission Control. To stay fit in microgravity, she followed a rigorous exercise routine with specialised equipment like the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED), treadmill, and cycle ergometer. She also stayed connected with Earth, sending festive greetings for Diwali, Christmas, and New Year, interacting with students from a school named after her, and sharing a special message of support for 2024 Paris Olympics athletes.
PM Modi’s Message To Sunita Williams: ‘India Awaits The Return Of Its Daughter’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a letter to Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, inviting her to visit India after she began her return journey from the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday. In the letter, dated March 1, PM Modi expressed concern about her well-being, recalling his discussions with Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden regarding her situation during his visits to the United States. The letter was made public after Williams and her colleague, Butch Wilmore, began their journey home after being stranded on the ISS for over nine months.
Who Is Nick Hague, A Key Figure In NASA's Stranded Astronaut Mission To Bring Back Sunita Williams?
Born in 1975 in Belleville, Kansas, Hague grew up in Hoxie and graduated from Hoxie High School in 1994. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Astronautical Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master’s degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from MIT.
His journey to space began in 2013 when he was selected as part of NASA’s 21st astronaut class. "Hague was the first astronaut from his class to be assigned to a mission which launched on October 11, 2018. Unfortunately, he and his crewmate Alexey Ovchinin, of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, were forced to abort the mission when a rocket booster experienced a malfunction shortly after the launch of their Soyuz MS-10. The aborted spacecraft landed safely," his profile in the official website of NASA reads.
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