Sunita Williams & Barry Wilmore Bid Goodbye To ISS As Dragon Undocks From Space Station: WATCH

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore undocked from the ISS on Tuesday after a nine-month stay, beginning their 17-hour return journey to Earth aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft.

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft successfully undocked from the ISS

Source : Twitter - NASA

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore embarked on their return journey to Earth on Tuesday, departing from the International Space Station (ISS) after an extended nine-month stay. According to NASA, the duo successfully undocked from the ISS at 10:35 AM IST, marking the start of their 17-hour voyage home aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

In a post on X, NASA said, "They're on their way! #Crew9 undocked from the @Space_Station at 1:05am ET (0505 UTC). Reentry and splashdown coverage begins on X, YouTube, and NASA+ at 4:45pm ET (2145 UTC) this evening."

They're on their way! #Crew9 undocked from the @Space_Station at 1:05am ET (0505 UTC). Reentry and splashdown coverage begins on X, YouTube, and NASA+ at 4:45pm ET (2145 UTC) this evening. pic.twitter.com/W3jcoEdjDG

— NASA (@NASA) March 18, 2025

Along with Williams and Wilmore, NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov also boarded the Dragon spacecraft and departed from the Harmony module to conclude their long-duration science mission aboard the ISS. Their return will also bring back crucial scientific research and experiment samples.

In the final hours before departure, Hague and Gorbunov conducted research on muscle stimulation and fluid shifts in space, while Wilmore and Williams focused on maintenance tasks and securing cargo inside Dragon for the return trip.

What’s Next For The ISS Crew?

Crew-10 astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi, and Kirill Peskovare are settling into life aboard the ISS, continuing research and station maintenance as part of Expedition 72. Their arrival marks the beginning of their months-long mission in orbit.

Additionally, NASA astronaut Don Pettit and Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner are set to leave the ISS in April aboard Soyuz MS-26, making way for the arrival of Soyuz MS-27 with NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky.

NASA said the Progress 91 spacecraft recently performed an orbital reboost, ensuring the ISS is at the correct altitude for April’s Soyuz crew swap.