When will Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore return to Earth? Here's what NASA says

NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 launch to the ISS is delayed to late March 2025, affecting Crew 9's return. The delay ensures readiness for the new Dragon capsule's debut mission.

In Short

• NASA astronauts delayed return from ISS
• Williams, Wilmore aboard since June 2024
• NASA uses Dragon spacecraft for return

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been aboard the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024, will return to Earth later than anticipated due to a delay in the launch of the SpaceX Crew 10 mission.

Crew 9, which includes Williams and Wilmore, was initially scheduled to return in February 2025. However, the launch of Crew 10 was pushed back, causing a delay in their return, NASA announced in December.

Williams and Wilmore had originally traveled to the ISS aboard Boeings Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024.

However, due to issues with the Starliner, NASA decided to utilize SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft to bring them back, which has altered the timeline for their homecoming.

NASA had initially planned for Crew 10 to launch in February 2025. However, the agency now expects Crew 10 to launch in late March 2025, due to the need for additional preparation time for the new Dragon capsule.

Crew 10 will carry NASA astronauts Anne McClain (commander) and Nichole Ayers (pilot), JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi (mission specialist), and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov to the ISS.

With Crew 10s delayed launch, Crew 9 will have to remain aboard the ISS until their replacement crew arrives. "NASAs SpaceX Crew-10 now is targeting no earlier than late March 2025 to launch four crew members to the International Space Station," NASA said in a statement on December 17, 2024.

The delay has extended Williams and Wilmores mission, which was originally planned to last only a short period. Despite the prolonged stay, Williams has remained focused on her duties aboard the ISS. "It doesnt feel like were cast away. Eventually, we want to go home because we left our families a little while ago, but we have a lot to do while were up here," Williams said.

NASAs decision to delay the launch of Crew 10 was made to ensure the new Dragon spacecraft was fully prepared for the mission, which aligns with the agencys commitment to crew safety.

With the revised timeline, the return of Williams and Wilmore is now expected in late March or even April 2025.