The duo, along with NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Roscosmos Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, splashed safely on March 19, 2025 on the Atlantic Ocean near the Florida coast. Their return journey was strong, risky, risky and full of scientific significance.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore return to Earth safely after spending 286 days on the International Space Station (ISS). Their mission was originally planned for a shorter date, stretching to more than nine months, one of the longest space flights in recent memory.
The duo, along with NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Roscosmos Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, splashed safely on March 19, 2025 on the Atlantic Ocean near the Florida coast. Their return journey was strong, risky, risky and full of scientific significance.
Phase 1: Earth Journey
On Tuesday (IST), astronauts boarded the SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsule, a free, compact, 13-foot-wide (4-meter-wide) spacecraft. ISS has been driving 250 miles (400 kilometers) above the Earth for nearly a year.
At 5 p.m. ET (2:30 a.m. Wednesday), Crew Dragon ignited its derailed engine, marking the last, most dangerous phase of their return – re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
Phase 2: Dangerous Phase: Re-enter
Re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere is one of the most dangerous stages in any space mission. The spacecraft generates extreme friction and heat at 22 times the speed of sound, reaching 1,926°C (3,500°F) externally. This intense heating creates a luminescent plasma layer that appears when viewed from the inside of the fire wall around the spacecraft. The plasma also blocks radio signals, causing a 12-13-minute communication outage.
As the spacecraft’s atmosphere (120 km on Earth) drops, it slows down rapidly due to drag force. This kinetic energy is converted into heat, making this stage the most challenging and most important in space travel.
Phase 3: Colombia and Re-entry Risk
The most critical danger during the reentry period occurs 70 kilometers above the earth, about 20 minutes before landing. It is a tragic reminder that Colombia’s space shuttle disaster in 2003 was the loss of damage to the hull during re-entry that caused all crew members to lose. The inability to communicate due to a radio outage means that ground controls did not receive distress signals before the disaster occurred.
Today, spacecraft such as Crew Dragon use heat-resistant shields to withstand plasma environments of 9,700°C-11,700°C. The material ensures that the internal temperature is maintained within 1300°C, thus ensuring astronaut safety.
Phase 4: Parachute/Ocean Landing
once After the hottest re-entry phase, Crew Dragon slowed down and deployed two sets of parachutes:
§drogue parachutes – First deprived of gradually slowing down spacecraft
§Main Parachutes – Open to further reduce speed, ensuring smooth splashes
The initial orbital speed of 27,359 km/h (17,000 mph) was initially reduced to 32 km/h (20 mph) before the capsule hits the water.
Phase 5: Weather is important
Steve Stich, NASA’s business staff program manager, said the prevailing ideal weather conditions play a crucial role in ensuring a safe landing:
oStable downward light wind (4-5 knots/7-9 km/h)
oThe clear sky helps tracking team find capsules
o Calm oceans to prevent spacecraft from swaying too much when landing
These conditions make recovery teams easier to find, approach and safely extract astronauts from capsules.
Phase 6: Adapting to Earth’s gravity
After 286 days of microgravity, Williams and Wilmore face physical challenges due to long-term exposure. They will now conduct a 45-day rehabilitation program to help them re-adjust the Earth’s gravity.
NASA’s Astronaut Force, Regulation and Rehabilitation (ASCR) team designed a dedicated recovery plan that includes three key stages:
Phase 1: Recover immediately
§ Start immediately after landing
§ Focus on walking, balance and muscle flexibility
Stage 2: Strength and Coordination
§Includes balance exercises and endurance exercises
§Cardiovascular training to strengthen the heart
Stage 3: Complete physical rehabilitation
§Custom recovery plan based on test results
§ Help astronauts restore normal mobility and strength
Astronauts often experience swollen faces and thinner legs (“chicken legs”) due to fluid changes in space until their circulation system is re-adjusted.
Phase 7: Contributions of Crew-9
During the extended mission, Crew-9 conducted more than 150 scientific experiments and technical tests, contributing more than 900 hours to space research.
Key research areas:
O-stem cell research – Explore treatments for blood diseases, autoimmune diseases and cancer
o Human sleep cycle – Research on special lighting systems to improve astronaut sleep regulations
oSpace Agriculture – Studying plant growth in microgravity of future missions on Moon and Mars
oMicroorganisms in space-testing how tiny life forms survive under extreme space conditions
oMuMu (wooden satellite) – Japan’s Jaxa developed environmentally friendly space probes
Williams and Wilmore also manage ISS logistics, oversee the arrival and departure of eight spacecraft, and participate in multiple spacewalks. Williams set a record for a woman’s most space-walking time, ranking fourth in total space-walking time.
Stage 8: The Last Step of Freedom
Before re-entering, the Free Spacecraft is disengaged from its trunk module – a storage part of the spacecraft that carries cargo, solar panels and heat radiators. It is not for re-entry and therefore abandoned before the spacecraft re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
– And the orbital burn started at 5:11 pm ET (2:41 AM iSt).
Stage 9: The Future of Humanity in Space
The safe return of Williams and Wilmore highlights the success of NASA’s commercial space flight program. Their extended missions provide valuable insights into the challenges of long-term space travel. With NASA’s Artemis program aimed at missions on the moon and Mars, data from ISS research is crucial to shaping the future of human exploration in deep space.
The mission to pave the way for the future
Williams and Wilmore have a long history of 286-day missions. From record spacewalks to groundbreaking research, their journey will play a key role in future space missions. As commercial space travel expands, this mission brings us closer to understanding the reality of deep space exploration, paving the way for the next great leap for mankind.
(The author of this article is an award-winning scientific writer and a defense, aerospace and political analyst based in Bangalore. He is also the director of Add Engineering Components of India, India, Pvt. Ltd, and a subsidiary of Add Engineering GmbH, Germany.
(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own views and do not reflect the views of DNA)
