NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, famously dubbed the “Stranded Astronauts,” are finally set to return to Earth after spending nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The duo, who originally embarked on an eight-day mission in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, ended up being stuck in orbit due to technical issues that prevented their return as planned.
NASA initially attempted to send the Starliner capsule back to Earth without the crew, leaving Wilmore and Williams to integrate with the existing Crew-9 team aboard the ISS. The team included NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
After months of waiting, NASA arranged an alternative spacecraft to bring the four astronauts back home. The return vehicle is currently in the final stages of its 17-hour journey from the ISS to Earth.
NASA has launched a live countdown on its website as the agency prepares for splashdown, scheduled for 5:57 p.m. EDT (12:57 a.m. EAT on Wednesday, March 19, 2025). Kenya, which is seven hours ahead of EDT, will witness the landing just after midnight.
The much-anticipated event will be broadcast live on NASA+, allowing the world to watch as the astronauts complete their unexpected extended mission in space.
