Washington, United States: After being stranded for over nine months on the International Space Station (ISS), US astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are finally set to return to Earth on Tuesday evening, NASA announced.

The two astronauts, who were originally meant to spend only a few days in space, remained aboard the ISS due to propulsion issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft during its maiden crewed mission. Deemed unfit for their return, the spacecraft forced an extended stay far beyond their original schedule.

NASA confirmed that Williams and Wilmore, along with American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, will travel back aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which docked with the ISS on Sunday. Their splashdown off the Florida coast is now scheduled for 5:57 PM EDT on Tuesday (3:27 AM IST, Wednesday), earlier than initially planned.

“The updated return target allows for completion of handover duties while ensuring flexibility amid changing weather conditions later in the week,” NASA said in a statement.

This extended mission has drawn attention, as Williams and Wilmore had to receive extra clothing and supplies, given their unexpected long-term stay. While their nine-month stint was significantly longer than the usual six-month ISS rotation, it falls short of the US record of 371 days set by astronaut Frank Rubio in 2023 and the world record of 437 days held by Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov aboard the Mir space station.

The return journey, including hatch closure preparations, will be broadcast live, as the astronauts prepare to finally reunite with their families after an unplanned yet eventful mission.