Mumbai, March 16: NASA and SpaceX have launched the Crew-10 mission, which is en route to the International Space Station (ISS) for a scheduled crew rotation. As part of the mission, US astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, who were stranded at the ISS, will be returning to Earth.

SpaceX successfully launched the Crew-10 mission on Friday, marking a significant step in bringing astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams back home. The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon capsule, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida shortly after 7 p.m. New York time (4:30 a.m. IST on Saturday). Sunita Williams Return to Earth: NASA, SpaceX Crew-10 Arrives and Docks With ISS (Watch Video).

Sunita Williams' Return: Exact Date and Time

Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore are expected to return to Earth aboard the Crew Dragon capsule after the Crew-10 astronauts settle in. However, NASA has not yet announced the exact date and time of their departure. The Crew Dragon spacecraft will dock with the International Space Station at 11:30 p.m. EDT on March 15 (9:00 a.m. IST on March 16), followed by hatch opening at 1:05 a.m. EDT (10:35 a.m. IST). After a brief handover, Crew-9, including Williams and Wilmore, will depart and begin their journey back to Earth. If the Crew-10 mission lifts off as scheduled on Saturday, Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore are likely to leave the ISS after March 20. Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Return To Earth Live Streaming: Watch Online Telecast of Space Docking as NASA-SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Aboard Dragon Spacecraft Enters ISS Today. Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Return To Earth Live Streaming: Watch Online Telecast of Space Docking as NASA-SpaceX Crew-10 Mission Aboard Dragon Spacecraft Enters ISS Today.

How Will Sunita William Return to Earth?

Sunita Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore will return to Earth aboard the Crew Dragon capsule, which has been docked at the ISS since their initial arrival. After Crew-10 takes over station operations, Crew-9, including Williams and Wilmore, will board their spacecraft and undock. The capsule will then perform a controlled descent through Earth's atmosphere, deploying parachutes before making a splashdown landing in the ocean. Recovery teams will retrieve the astronauts and transport them safely back to land.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 16, 2025 11:49 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).