Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Crew-9 Set to Undock from ISS Aboard SpaceX Dragon

Sunita Williams Return LIVE: Nasa astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, marking the end of an extraordinary nine-month journey in space.

Their mission, initially planned as a brief eight-day test flight aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, was extended due to unforeseen technical issues with their vehicle.

Williams is returning aboard SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with Willmore and two other Crew-9 members.

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When will Crew 9 begin to undock?

Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore along with astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will undock from the ISS at 10:35 a.m. IST.

It will be a 17-hour journey back to earth for them. The crew is expected to land in the Gulf of Mexico (now called the Gulf of America by the Trump administration) at 3:27 a.m. IST, Wednesday.

Sunita Williams officially handed over ISS command to Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, who will lead operations for the next six months.

The Crew-9 astronauts are saying goodbye to the International Space Station as their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft undocks, marking the start of their return journey to Earth.

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As Nasa went live, Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov were seen packing up and closing the hatches as Crew9 prepares to depart from the Space Station.

"It's been a privilege to call the Space Station home, to play my part in its 25-year legacy of doing research for humanity, and to work with colleagues, now friends, from around the globe. My spaceflight career, like most, is full of the unexpected," said Nick Hague.

Williams and Butch Wilmore are likely to depart from ISS on March 18 alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, NASA stated.

Although NASA has been targeting an ‘early’ return for Williams, the Dragon's undocking depends on spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states and other factors.

The Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft, carrying astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, has successfully disengaged from the International Space Station, marking the beginning of its journey back to Earth.

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