The Business Bytes
THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
WASHINGTON, MARCH 19, 2025
American Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth on Tuesday evening, marking the end of an unexpected nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). They were originally scheduled for an eight-day mission but remained in orbit due to a malfunction in their intended return spacecraft, Boeing’s Starliner.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying Williams, Wilmore, NASA astronaut Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, successfully splashed down in the waters off the coast of Florida just minutes before 6 p.m. local time. NASA confirmed the successful landing, after which the capsule was transported to a recovery ship. Nearly 50 minutes after splashdown, Hague became the first to exit the spacecraft, followed by the others, all smiling and waving as they emerged with assistance.
The astronauts’ return journey began at 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday when their spacecraft undocked from the ISS. The flight lasted 17 hours before the capsule safely touched down.
Williams and Wilmore initially launched aboard Starliner on June 6, 2024, for what was intended to be a brief visit. However, technical malfunctions forced NASA to delay their return until a viable alternative was arranged. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, ultimately brought them back to Earth after a record 287-day mission aboard the ISS.
The ISS, a collaborative effort by the space agencies of the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, and Europe, orbits Earth at an altitude of 254 miles (406.4 km) and travels at a speed of 4.76 miles per second. Since its launch on November 20, 1998, the station has served as a crucial hub for scientific research and international space cooperation.
Following their landing, Williams and her fellow astronauts will be transported to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where they will undergo comprehensive medical evaluations to assess both short-term and long-term effects of prolonged spaceflight. Extended stays in microgravity can cause physiological changes, including increased height, muscle weakening, and potential vision impairments. The astronauts will then enter a 45-day recovery program.
Sunita Williams, who turns 60 later this year, is a seasoned astronaut of Indian descent. She holds a bachelor’s degree in physical science from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Master of Science in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology. Selected as an astronaut in 1998, she has completed three long-duration missions aboard the ISS. Her previous missions include the STS-116 in 2006 and a Soyuz flight in 2012.
With their safe return, Williams and Wilmore add yet another chapter to human spaceflight history, demonstrating resilience and adaptability in the face of unforeseen challenges.
