NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally preparing to return to Earth after a long stay in space. Their mission was supposed to last just ten days, but their mission got stretched to almost ten months due to technical problems in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. Now, they will travel back aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule, and are expected to return to Earth as early as next week.

Crew-10 mission and transition plan

• His return is part of a crew transition.
• The Crew-10 mission includes NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nicole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
• NASA's Crew-10 mission is set to launch on March 13 at 5:18 am IST. This team will relieve Crew-9, allowing Williams and Wilmore to return.
• Once Crew-10 arrives and begins the process, which could take up to a week, Williams and Wilmore will board the Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft.
• Their departure from the ISS is tentatively scheduled for 6:30 PM IST on March 16, but the timing may vary slightly depending on weather conditions.

Earth's gravity can become a challenge

Spending nearly ten months in microgravity has taken a toll on their bodies. Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao said astronauts feel like baby feet when they return, because calluses on their feet disappear in space.

Former US President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk criticised the Biden administration, arguing that NASA did not act quickly enough to resolve the situation. However, NASA said safety was the top priority.