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Sunita Williams' homecoming: When, where and how will NASA astronaut return?
Since more work is needed on the new capsule, NASA decided to send the next crew in an older capsule.
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore went on a NASA mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in June last year. The mission, which was supposed to last eight days, has been extended multiple times to date due to glitches in their Boeing Starliner.
Amid concerns over their extended, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally preparing to return to Earth after almost nine months. Here is when and where NASA is planning the return of both astronauts.
When and where will Sunta Williams return to Earth?
NASA had originally planned for Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to return to Earth by the end of March or April. But their stay in space could end a few weeks earlier than expected as the American space agency announced last month that SpaceX would switch capsules for upcoming flights.
The change in plans with the Elon Musk-led company means both the astronauts will return by mid-March, possibly on March 19 or 20.
Since more work is needed on the new capsule, NASA decided to send the next crew in an older capsule, which is now set to launch on March 12, according to the Associated Press.
With the mission with the new crew moved up, the launch is now scheduled for 7:48 PM EDT on Wednesday, March 12. The spacecraft is expected to return to Earth with Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, by mid-March in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule along with two other astronauts.
The capsule is expected to land with the four of them in New Mexico, US.
Sunita Williams' mother Bonnie Pandya recently opened up about her daughter's extended stay in space, saying that she was relieved that NASA did not rush her back in the glitchy Starliner. She also said that she was confident about Williams' well-being as ‘she knows what she is doing.’
