After spending nine unexpected months on the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Butch Willmore and Suni Williams finally returned to Earth on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
Their return followed the successful docking of SpaceX’s Dragon Spaceship, delivering alternative crews and clearing the path to astronaut departure. This is another example of NASA and SpaceX working together to manage space missions.
The astronauts are scheduled to jump off the Florida coast around 5:57pm on Tuesday, March 18th, NASA said in an X post. The agency said it plans to use coverage to air return live starting Monday night.
. @NASA will offer live coverage of Crew-9’s return to Earth from @Space_Station, starting at 10:45pm on Monday, March 17th (preparing for the @Spacex Dragon Hatch closure).
Splashdown is scheduled for Tuesday, March 18th at 5:57pm: https://t.co/yablg20tkx pic.twitter.com/alujsplshm
– NASA Commercial Crew (@commercial_crew) March 16, 2025
After nine months of stay at the ISS, the astronauts returned to Earth
This marks the end of Willmore and Williams’ long-unplanned chapters, adding another milestone to the growing partnership with NASA’s private space companies.
“NASA and SpaceX met on Sunday to assess the weather and splashdown conditions off the Florida coast and have returned the Agency’s Crew-9 mission from the International Space Station. Mission Managers are targeting previous Crew 9 return opportunities based on the preferred conditions forecasted on Tuesday evening, March 18th. Space Station crew members will continue to be able to complete their handover operations while providing operational flexibility ahead of unwanted weather conditions expected later in the week.
Boeing Starliner Retreat: How SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Return Paved
The decision to bring them back to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon came after NASA replaced the Boeing Starliner in 2025 with a two-crew rotation mission to the ISS. NASA initially wanted Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner to be ready, but ongoing certification delays forced a change in plans.
NASA’s move reportedly left Boeing employees irritated. The astronaut originally traveled to the ISS using Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June, but will return to Earth on a SpaceX vehicle early next year.
One Boeing employee described the mood as harsh. “We’ve had so many embarrassments these days. We’re under the microscope. They told The New York Post. “We hate SpaceX,” the employee added. “We talk about them all the time, and now they’re saving us. It’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed, I’m scared.”
Starliner faced multiple setbacks, including pre-lift-off helium leaks, which got worse after docking to the ISS. Originally setting up a nine-day mission, the astronauts eventually spent 49 days in space. They are currently expected to remain on track until August, according to Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager.
Additional issues include thruster failures. Although some have been fixed, NASA decided in February 2025 that it would be safer for astronauts to return SpaceX’s Dragon Crew-9 mission.
These issues are expensive. Boeing spent about $1.5 billion over its initial $4.5 billion contract with NASA. Starliner was considered to be the second option on NASA’s ISS Transportation alongside SpaceX’s crew Dragon, but the delays made Starliner’s future an issue, putting even more pressure on Boeing’s reputation.
This year has been tough for Boeing. Safety concerns have been in the spotlight after incidents like the accident at the door panel of Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737 Max 9 jet. At least 20 whistleblowers have raised concerns about safety and quality issues, some reportedly face serious consequences.
Live broadcasts of NASA Astronaut Returns begin Monday night. Stay tuned for the latest news on safe travel.
