After nine months in zero gravity—Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore prepare for a gravity-shocking return

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry «Butch» Wilmore are set to return to Earth on 18 March after spending over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their mission was extended due to propulsion issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was deemed unfit for their return journey. Instead, the astronauts will be flying back aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, with splashdown expected near the Florida coast.

Their journey home marks the end of an unusual mission. Williams and Wilmore had originally travelled to the ISS in June last year as part of the first crewed test flight of Boeing’s Starliner. However, multiple technical issues, including helium leaks and propulsion malfunctions, forced NASA to alter their return plans. The two astronauts were folded into the Crew-9 mission and had to wait for a safe return option.

Concerns Over Health After Prolonged Spaceflight

Back in India, Williams’ cousin Dinesh Rawal expressed mixed emotions about her return. «We want her to come back to Earth as soon as possible. I may seem happy, but I am scared. We just want her to be back on Earth and in sound health,» he told news agency PTI.

Rawal recalled childhood memories with Williams, including camel rides and pilgrimages to Somnath. «She has been courageous since she was small. After the death of my uncle, she would frequently hold my hand. I was curious to know why. She said it felt like her father. We never got apart,» he said.

Williams' extended stay in microgravity raises concerns about her physical health. According to Dr Akhilesh Yadav, Associate Director of Orthopaedics & Joint Replacement at Max Hospital Vaishali, «Microgravity, felt by astronauts during space travel, has a severe effect on human