The return of Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams has suddenly drawn significant attention across India. Initially sent to the International Space Station (ISS) for just 8 days, she ended up spending nine months in space due to mission delays, which further fueled curiosity and concerns worldwide. The situation was exacerbated by propaganda and misinformation, including unverified reports claiming that Sunita Williams might not be able to return to Earth.
Over the past nine months, NASA made multiple unsuccessful attempts to bring back Sunita Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore due to technical failures. These repeated setbacks only heightened fears. However, after a long wait, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and two other astronauts are finally on their way back to Earth.
Notably, Sunita Williams and Commander Butch Wilmore piloted Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the ISS as part of a test mission. If successful, Boeing’s Starliner was expected to become a regular spacecraft for future missions, similar to SpaceX’s Starship. However, technical malfunctions occurred mid-flight, including thruster failures and helium gas leaks. Although they managed to dock Starliner at the ISS, NASA deemed it unsafe for their return journey. Consequently, Starliner was sent back to Earth unmanned, leaving Williams and Wilmore stranded aboard the ISS.
As multiple rescue attempts failed, political controversy erupted. Former US President Donald Trump accused Joe Biden of abandoning Sunita Williams in space, turning the issue into a domestic political debate. The Trump administration fueled a global narrative of uncertainty, suggesting that NASA might struggle to bring them back safely.
Now, the handover period at the ISS has officially concluded, and according to Indian Standard Time (IST), Williams and her crew began their return journey on Tuesday morning. They are expected to splash down in the ocean off the Florida coast at 3:27 AM IST on Wednesday. At that time, Florida local time (Eastern Time Zone) will be Tuesday, 5:57 PM.
So far, NASA’s schedule remains unchanged. If everything goes according to plan, there will be no deviations in timing. Since the automated docking process of Crew Dragon was completed on Sunday morning, the undocking process also went smoothly today, minimizing any chances of delays.
NASA has been broadcasting the entire return journey live since 8:30 AM IST on Tuesday. The SpaceX-built Crew Dragon spacecraft, descending with the help of parachutes, will land in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast. The world is eagerly watching the live coverage of this much-anticipated splashdown. Once they land, NASA’s rescue team is on standby to recover the four astronauts from the ocean and transport them via helicopter to NASA’s recovery facility.