Sunita Williams
Sunita Williams is an astronaut and a former US Navy test pilot of Indian and Slovenian descent. She is a popular astronaut who has spent quite an extensive time in space. She also holds a record for space walks and total space flight duration amongst the female astronauts. She was selected by NASA in 1998 and has been involved in various space missions, such as Expedition 14/15, where she spent 195 days on the International Space Station from 2006 to 2007, and Expedition 32/33; here she again completed a long-duration mission on the International Space Station in 2012 and the Starling test flight, which took place in 2024.
Sunita Williams and astronaut Butch Wilmore were part of a mission of the Boeing Starliner, which was launched on June 5, 2024. This trip was meant to be for eight days, and they were supposed to return back to Earth from the International Space Station. When multiple helium leaks and thruster failures were detected, the decision of not using the Starlight spacecraft for the return trip to the Earth was taken.
Sunita Williams and astronaut Wilmore’s return to Earth kept getting delayed due to multiple reasons, such as Boeing being able to fix their spacecraft remotely, then engineers being unable to resolve the leaks and malfunctions, which led to further delay. Eventually, the stay lasted over nine months, making it a history in itself.
Eventually, NASA decided to use the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to bring Sunita Williams and Wilmore back to Earth due to it being way more safe and reliable.
During their final preparation for departure-
The astronauts packed essential cargoes and scientific samples for the return.
They also conducted a final system check to ensure the crew was ready.
Williams and Wilmore entered the Dragon capsule that was docked at the International Space Station.
Crew Dragon undocked from the International Space Station at approximately 1:05 a.m. EST on March 18, 2025, for the journey back to the Earth.
The journey from the International Space Station to Earth takes around 8 hours or more, depending upon the orbital condition in the entry phase towards the Earth’s atmosphere. The Crew Dragon fired its main engines to slow down to enter the Earth’s atmosphere. In due course, 4 parachutes were deployed to control the speed and ensure a soft landing of the Crew Dragon.
Crew Dragon successfully splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean in Florida around 5:57 p.m. EST on March 18, 2025.
SpaceX’s and NASA’s recovery team was nearby with divers approaching to open the hatch safely.
Sunita Williams and Wilmore were immediately checked by medical personnel due to their prolonged stay in space to ensure they are in good health.
The live broadcast was featured on NASA’s official YouTube channel and other major news channels, and if you have missed it, you can still watch the landing highlights on
- NASA’s official YouTube channel
- SpaceX official coverage
- NASA’s websites
And all the major news outlets
