How long will Sunita take to reach Earth from space, where will the spacecraft land?

Sunita Williams News: Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and her partner Butch Wilmore are about to return to Earth. They will return to Earth in SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. It is worth noting that both of them left Cape Canaveral on Boeing's new Starliner capsule on June 5 last year. Their mission was for eight days, but due to technical problems, they were stranded in the International Space Station (ISS) for almost nine months.

Return timetable

Today, March 18, at 10:35 am Indian time, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will be undocked from the ISS. This process depends on many factors, including the preparation of the spacecraft and the recovery team, weather conditions and sea conditions. NASA and SpaceX will confirm the splashdown location just before the return of Crew-9.

• 08:15 am - The lid of the spacecraft was closed.
• 10:35 am - The undocking process will begin.
• March 19, 02:41 am - Deorbit burn will happen, that is, the spacecraft will enter the Earth's atmosphere.
• 03:27 am - The spacecraft will land in the sea.
• 05:00 am - NASA will hold a press conference, in which information related to the mission will be shared.

It will take a total of 17 hours for Sunita and Butch to return from space to Earth.

Where will the splashdown happen?

After leaving Earth's orbit, the spacecraft will splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean near the Florida coast of the US. After this, the astronauts will be taken out of the spacecraft one by one. NASA is broadcasting this entire process live, which includes important events like hatch closure, undocking and splashdown.

Health and rehabilitation process

After a successful landing, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore will be sent to NASA's Johnson Space Center, where they will undergo post-mission medical examination for a few days.

Astronauts face many physical and mental challenges due to long stay in space, such as:

• Bone and muscle deterioration
• Radiation exposure
• Vision loss
• Loneliness and mental stress

Therefore, their health will be monitored after returning to Earth and they will be given necessary rehabilitation.

Conclusion

This return of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore is a historic moment. This mission was full of technical challenges, but ultimately their efforts for safe return are being successful. The joint team of NASA and SpaceX has played an important role in completing this mission safely. The eyes of the whole world are fixed on this return, and India is proud of the success of Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams.