NASA astronaut Sunita Williams returned to Earth on March 18, 2025, after an extended mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Originally scheduled for a brief eight-day mission starting in June 2024, technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft led to a prolonged stay of over nine months. Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore returned via a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which splashed down off the coast of Florida around 5:57 p.m. ET on March 18.
During their extended mission, Williams and Wilmore contributed to various experiments and maintenance tasks aboard the ISS. They also conducted spacewalks, with Williams setting a record for the most hours spent during spacewalks by a woman, totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes over nine spacewalks.
Williams has a personal connection to India; her father, Deepak Pandya, hails from the village of Jhulasan in Gujarat’s Mehsana district. The village celebrated her safe return with special prayers and festivities.
The extended mission highlighted the complexities and resilience involved in human spaceflight, as well as the collaborative efforts between NASA and private companies like SpaceX to ensure the safety and success of their astronauts.
