On 16th March, NASA confirmed that astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will return to Earth on 18th March. Their return will mark the end of their prolonged stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The duo will join American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
Crew 10 Dragon vehicle arriving! pic.twitter.com/3EZZyZW18b
— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) March 16, 2025
NASA confirms splashdown schedule
In its statement, NASA provided details of the revised schedule for the return of the astronauts. Initially, the return was planned for later in the week, but it was brought forward to 18th March at around 5:57 pm Florida time (3:27 am IST on 19th March), off the Florida coast.
.@NASA will provide live coverage of Crew-9’s return to Earth from the @Space_Station, beginning with @SpaceX Dragon hatch closure preparations at 10:45pm ET Monday, March 17.
— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) March 16, 2025
Splashdown is slated for approximately 5:57pm Tuesday, March 18: https://t.co/yABLg20tKX pic.twitter.com/alujSplsHm
NASA said in its statement, “The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favourable weather conditions expected for later in the week.”
Docking confirmed! pic.twitter.com/zSdY3w0pOS
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 16, 2025
What is the SpaceX Crew Dragon?
The SpaceX Crew Dragon is a reusable spacecraft designed to carry astronauts and cargo to and from low Earth orbit. It has been developed by Elon Musk-owned SpaceX and has been in operation since 2020. It is the first privately developed spacecraft to transport NASA astronauts to the ISS.
Crew Dragon consists of two primary sections, a pressurised capsule, where astronauts and sensitive cargo are housed, and an unpressurised trunk that carries additional payloads and provides structural support. The trunk of the spacecraft also contains solar panels that supply power to the spacecraft during the mission.
The spacecraft has a state-of-the-art life support system, touch-screen controls, and an advanced docking mechanism, allowing it to autonomously connect to the ISS. It has 16 Draco thrusters for precise manoeuvring in orbit. Furthermore, it is equipped with an emergency launch abort system, powered by eight SuperDraco engines, designed to rapidly separate the spacecraft from its Falcon 9 rocket in the event of a failure, ensuring the safety of the crew.
Crew Dragon is capable of carrying up to seven astronauts and can transport a significant amount of cargo. Unlike other spacecraft currently in operation, Dragon can bring back large quantities of materials from space, making it an essential part of NASA’s operations.
When the capsule re-enters Earth’s atmosphere, it deploys two drogue parachutes for initial deceleration. Four main parachutes are deployed later to ensure a controlled splashdown in the ocean. From there, a recovery team retrieves the spacecraft and the crew.
SpaceX Dragon 2 is an engineering marvel
The SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft consists of two variants, Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon. It represents a major leap in human spaceflight. Dragon 2 has been designed as the successor to Dragon 1 and is the first private spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts to the ISS. Unlike its predecessor, Dragon 2 can dock autonomously with the ISS, thus eliminating the need for the station’s robotic arm. It is also the only spacecraft in operation that can bring back cargo from orbit, making it invaluable for both scientific research and logistical support.
The Dragon supporting this mission previously flew Crew-3, Crew-5, and Crew-7 to the @Space_Station and has spent over 525 days in space to date pic.twitter.com/9qvjUy80Am
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 12, 2025
One of the most impressive aspects of Dragon 2 is its integrated launch escape system. Unlike traditional escape towers that are jettisoned after launch, Dragon 2 has eight built-in SuperDraco engines, which allow for full-abort capability from the launch pad to orbit. It makes Dragon 2 safer for the crew in case of a failure. These engines are, interestingly, manufactured using advanced 3D-printing techniques.
When compared to NASA’s Orion and Boeing’s Starliner, Dragon 2 is more cost-effective, reusable, and technologically advanced. Orion is designed for deep-space missions; it lacks reusability and costs much more per mission compared to Dragon. On the other hand, Starliner is designed for the same low-Earth orbit role as Crew Dragon. However, it has suffered significant delays, cost overruns, and multiple test failures. Not to forget, Starliner was supposed to bring back Williams last year but failed in the mission.
Dragon’s 6 missions helped provide an ongoing human presence on the @Space_Station, flew humans to the highest altitude within Earth’s orbit in 50+ years, and supported our first EVA with the Polaris Dawn crew pic.twitter.com/K4ruiHyRUv
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 31, 2024
Compared to both, Dragon 2 has completed multiple successful crewed missions and has already established itself as a reliable transport vehicle. Dragon 2 is capable of rapid refurbishment. Its reusable capsules make it a game-changer in the space industry, as it significantly reduces costs while improving the frequency and reliability of missions.
Why was Williams’ stay on the ISS extended?
Williams and Wilmore went to the ISS in June 2023 for a brief mission. However, their stay was extended due to propulsion issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which was initially meant to bring them back to Earth. The vehicle was deemed unfit for return, and NASA had to make alternative arrangements for their return.
Though Williams’ nine-month stay is considerably longer than usual, it is still short of the 371-day record set by NASA astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023 and the world record of 437 days held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov aboard the Mir space station.
