On March 19, 2025, Indian-American astronaut Sunita Lyn Williams and an American astronaut Barry Butch E. Wilmore from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully returned to the Earth after spending an extended period (9months) aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
- As part of NASA’s Crew-9 rotation mission, the 4-person crew, along with American Astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, concluded their journey with a safe splashdown off the coast of Tallahassee in the Florida Panhandle, the United States of America (USA).
- Their return was facilitated by the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, following the arrival of Crew-10, which was launched on March 14, 2025, to relieve Crew-9.
Mission Background:
i.ISS was initially launched on June 5, 2024, aboard Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, as part of its first crewed test flight with Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore. The mission was intended to last just eight days.
ii.However, technical issues with the Starliner, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, led to an extended stay of 286 days aboard the ISS.
Note: ISS, located 254 miles (409 kilometers, km) above Earth, has hosted astronauts from around the world for nearly 25 years now.
About SpaceX Crew Dragon:
i.The SpaceX Crew Dragon is a spacecraft designed to transport astronauts to and from Earth orbit, including missions to the ISS.
ii.It is capable of carrying up to 7 passengers and is the first private spacecraft to take humans to the space station.
iii.The Crew Dragon capsule, named “Freedom,” autonomously undocked from the ISS on March 18, 2025.
Post-Landing Procedures:
i.Following their return, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore underwent standard medical evaluations to assess the effects of prolonged microgravity exposure.
ii.They will participate in a 45-day rehabilitation program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, the USA to aid their adjustment back to Earth’s gravity.
About Sunita Lyn Williams:
i.Sunita Williams, a distinguished NASA astronaut and a retired USA Navy Captain was selected by NASA in 1998.
ii.She has completed 3 space missions; Expeditions 14/15, 32/33, and 71/72 accumulating a total of 608 days in space. During Expedition 14, she set a then-record for female spacewalks, totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes.
iii.Expedition 14/15 (2006–2007): Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery (SSD) on December 9, 2006, she served as Flight Engineer on the ISS.
- She conducted 4 spacewalks totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes and returned to Earth on June 22, 2007, aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis.
iv.Expedition 32/33 (2012): Launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on July 14, 2012, along with Russian cosmonauts Yuri Malenchenko and Akihiko Hoshide, arrived at the ISS on July 17, 2012.
- During this mission, she served as Flight Engineer and later as ISS Commande.She spent a total of 127 days in space, conducting various research and maintenance tasks.
v.Expedition 71/72 (2024–2025): Originally planned as an 8-day mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner starting June 5, 2024, technical issues extended her stay on the ISS, culminating in a 286-day mission, returning March 19, 2025.
vi.She sets the record for the most total time spent by a woman performing ExtraVehicular Activities (EVAs) totaling 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalk time, the most by any female astronaut and fourth on NASA’s all-time list.
- She has accumulated a total of 608 days and 20 minutes in space across 3 missions, the 2nd most for any USA astronaut after Peggy Whitson’s 675 days.
Awards and Honors of Sunita Williams:
i.Defence Superior Service Medal (2) and Legion of Merit (1) awarded twice for her exceptional meritorious service in positions of responsibility.
ii.Navy Commendation Medal (2) and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal: Recognizes her significant contributions to the Navy and Marine Corps.
iii.NASA Spaceflight Medal: Given for her contributions to human spaceflight missions.
iv.Medal “For Merit in Space Exploration”: Conferred by the Government of Russia in 2011 for her contributions to space exploration.
v.Padma Bhushan: India’s 3rd-highest civilian award, presented to her in 2008 in the field of others, for her distinguished service in space exploration.
vi.Golden Order for Merits: Presented by the Government of Slovenia in 2013 for her contributions to science and technology.
About Barry Butch Wilmore:
i.Barry E. Wilmore, a retired USA Navy Captain, joined NASA in 2000 and has completed 3 spaceflights, accumulating 464 days in space.
ii.He served as Flight Engineer during Expedition 41 and Commander of Expedition 42, logging 167 days aboard the ISS. His spacewalks total 31 hours and 60 minutes.
He was also a pilot for Space Shuttle Atlantis mission (STS-129), traveling 4.5 million miles in 171 orbits.
iii.He received numerous awards, including the Legion of Merit, NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and NASA Space Flight Medals.
iv.His extensive military career includes more than 8,000 flight hours and 663 carrier landings.
Points to Note:
i.Astronaut Frank Rubio (the USA) holds the record for NASA’s longest space mission, spending more than a year (371 days) on the ISS.
ii.The Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov, holds the world record for the longest single spaceflight in history, spending 437 days, 17 hours, and 38 minutes aboard the Mir space station.
iii.Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko surpassed his compatriot Gennady Padalka’s record for most cumulative time in space, spending more than 878 days and 12 hours in space.
