Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore finally left the International Space Station (ISS) after spending nine months instead of the planned eight days. Their return was delayed due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule. Now, they are returning to Earth with the Crew-9 mission. But what went wrong and why did it take so long to bring them back?
On June 5, 2024, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore traveled to ISS aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule for what was supposed to be an 8-day mission. However, after reaching ISS they discovered major technical issues with the capsule’s thrusters and Teflon seals. NASA determined that returning to Earth in the same capsule was too dangerous so the Starliner was sent back empty.
With no immediate alternative, Williams and Wilmore had to stay at ISS while NASA worked on a new plan.
For months NASA struggled to find a solution. Eventually, they turned to SpaceX for help. Meanwhile, the Crew-9 mission, which reached ISS in September 2024 had two empty seats reserved for future contingencies. NASA decided to bring Williams and Wilmore back using these seats.
However, their return was further delayed due to Crew-10’s repeated launch postponements. Political controversies also erupted with former U.S. President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk accusing the Biden administration of mishandling the situation.
Finally, Crew-10 successfully launched on March 14, 2025. On March 18 at 10:30 AM IST, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore and two Crew-9 astronauts left ISS. They are expected to land off Florida’s coast on March 19 at 8:30 AM IST depending on weather conditions.
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