NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, who have been on the International Space Station (ISS) since June 2024 due to technical issues with their return spacecraft, are scheduled to return to Earth on March 19, 2025.
On March 14, 2025, SpaceX launched Crew-10, a mission to relieve the stranded astronauts. The Crew-10 team comprises NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. They arrived at the ISS on March 15, initiating a handover period during which Williams and Wilmore will prepare for their return journey.
Williams and Wilmore’s mission, initially intended to last eight days, was prolonged due to mechanical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was meant to facilitate their return. After extensive evaluations, NASA determined it was too risky to use the Starliner for their return and awaited a safe crew rotation mission.
With Crew-10’s arrival and the subsequent handover, Williams and Wilmore are now preparing to return to Earth, with their landing expected around March 19.