NASA Announces Sunita Williams' Earlier Return to Earth

NASA has confirmed that astronaut Sunita Williams, along with fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, will return to Earth earlier than expected. Originally scheduled for a return at the end of March or in April, their mission will now conclude in mid-March. The announcement follows pledges by President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to expedite the astronauts' return.

Williams and Wilmore have been at the International Space Station (ISS) since September 2024. While NASA and SpaceX had initially planned to change capsules for the astronauts’ return, they decided to use an earlier SpaceX capsule after delays with the new one. The mission will launch on March 12, with the capsule expected to return on March 19.

NASA had initially scheduled Williams and Wilmore to return in June following a demonstration flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, but this mission was suspended due to issues with the capsule’s journey to the ISS. Despite the unexpected challenges, NASA has made adjustments to ensure a quicker return for the astronauts. The launch of the mission marks a significant step in the handover of operations at the ISS, as new crew members are expected to arrive before the current team departs.