SUNITA WILLIAMS SET TO RETURN TO EARTH ON MARCH 19

After a prolonged stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is finally scheduled to return to Earth on March 19. Williams and her crewmate, Butch Wilmore, have been stationed at the ISS since last summer after arriving on Boeing’s troubled Starliner capsule.

In an exclusive conversation with CNN from space, Williams and Wilmore confirmed that NASA’s Crew-10 mission will launch from Earth on March 12. The four-person crew will dock at the ISS for a six-month mission, allowing a transition of duties, including the appointment of a new Space Station Commander. Williams, who currently holds the position, will oversee the handover process before her departure.

Following a week-long transfer period, Williams and Wilmore will board the Dragon spacecraft—the same capsule that brings Crew-10 to space—for their journey home. “The plan is that Crew-10 will launch on March 12, do a turnover for a week, and we will return on March 19,” Wilmore stated.

Their return has been a subject of discussion, particularly after former U.S. President Donald Trump urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to expedite their journey back to Earth. However, NASA maintained that the timing of their return had been largely predetermined and confirmed it would bring the astronauts home “as soon as practical.”

The Crew-10 mission also impacts Axiom Space’s upcoming Crew Dragon flight, which is set to transport government astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary. Axiom, a Houston-based company that organizes private and government missions using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, has yet to comment on any potential schedule changes.

SpaceX, which developed the Crew Dragon capsule with approximately $3 billion in NASA funding, continues to play a crucial role in the agency’s efforts to commercialize human spaceflight and reduce costs.