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24 March, 2025
Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore's Return to Earth from ISS
Wed 19 Mar, 2025
Reference:
- Indian-origin American astronaut Sunita Williams and her companion Butch Wilmore successfully returned to Earth after 9 months and 14 days.
- Their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft landed in the sea near the coast of Florida at 3:27 AM (IST) on March 19, 2025.
Key Points:
- Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore departed for the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024.
- The mission was originally planned for 8 days, but due to technical issues, their return was delayed.
- During the mission, the Starliner experienced thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, causing the delay.
- Under SpaceX's Crew-9 mission, Sunita and Butch were planned to be brought back.
- Crew-9 mission members, Nick Hague and Alexander Gorbunov, reached the ISS on September 29, 2024.
International Space Station (ISS)
| Details | Information |
| Full Name | International Space Station (ISS) |
| Project Initiation | November 20, 1998 (first module launch) |
| Operational Start | November 2, 2000 (first crew boarding) |
| Location | Low Earth orbit (~400 km above Earth) |
| Orbital Speed | 28,000 km/h (one orbit in 90 minutes) |
| Sunrise-Sunset Daily | 16 times |
| Participating Agencies | NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), CSA (Canada) |
| Main Purpose | Scientific research, technology testing, long-term human presence in space |
| Crew Capacity | Maximum of 7 astronauts |
| Main Laboratories | Destiny (NASA), Columbus (ESA), Kibo (JAXA) |
| Ongoing Missions | Crew-9 (SpaceX), Starliner (Boeing) |
Features of ISS:
- Scientists on the ISS conduct experiments in physics, biology, astronomy, and Earth sciences.
- It is the largest and longest human-inhabited structure in space.
- Astronauts from various countries work together, promoting global cooperation.
- The station is powered by solar panels, providing it with energy.
SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation)
| Founder | Elon Musk |
| Founded | May 6, 2002 |
| Headquarters | Hawthorne, California, USA |
| Employees | 13,000+ (estimated in 2025) |
| Mission Objective | Making space transportation affordable and reliable, aiming for Mars colonization |
| Key Products | Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Starship, Dragon Capsule |
| First Orbital Flight | Falcon 1 – September 28, 2008 |
| Major Missions | ISS resupply, Starlink, human missions (Crew Dragon), Moon and Mars missions |