Two American astronauts, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months, are set to return to Earth. NASA confirmed that they will be transported home on Tuesday evening aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, along with another American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut.

The astronauts were initially slated to return on a Boeing Starliner spacecraft after completing a test mission, but the Starliner experienced propulsion issues during its maiden crewed voyage, making it unfit for their return. As a result, Williams and Wilmore have remained aboard the ISS since June, far beyond the typical six-month mission duration.

The scheduled splashdown is now set for approximately 5:57 p.m. EDT on Tuesday (3:27 a.m. IST, Wednesday), a day earlier than initially planned due to the anticipation of less favorable weather later in the week. This adjustment ensures that the space station crew has enough time to complete handover duties and allows for some operational flexibility.

Joining Williams and Wilmore on the return journey will be NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The entire mission will be broadcast live, starting with hatch closure preparations on Monday evening.

While the astronauts’ extended stay is unusual, it pales in comparison to NASA astronaut Frank Rubio’s 371-day stay aboard the ISS in 2023, or the 437 days spent by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov aboard the Mir space station. Nevertheless, the long duration of their mission has drawn attention and sympathy, as Williams and Wilmore were forced to receive additional supplies during their extended stay due to the unexpected length of their mission.