Mon Mar 17 01:58:49 UTC 2025: **Headline: Stranded Astronauts to Return to Earth Tuesday After Nine-Month ISS Ordeal**
**Dateline: Washington, March 17, 2025**
Two U.S. astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, will finally return to Earth on Tuesday evening after an unexpected nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their return, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, was initially scheduled for Wednesday but has been moved up due to anticipated unfavorable weather later in the week.
Wilmore and Williams were stranded on the ISS since June 2024 following propulsion issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft they were using for a planned short test flight. The malfunction rendered the Starliner unfit for their return journey.
The astronauts’ extended stay, significantly longer than the usual six-month ISS rotation, garnered considerable public attention and sympathy. NASA had to supply them with additional clothing and personal care items, as they hadn’t anticipated such a prolonged mission. While their stay is remarkable, it falls short of the U.S. record of 371 days (Frank Rubio, 2023) and the world record of 437 days (Valeri Polyakov).
NASA will broadcast the astronauts’ return live, beginning Monday evening with hatch closure preparations. The capsule is expected to splash down off the Florida coast around 5:57 p.m. EST on Tuesday.
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