Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, who have been in space for nearly 9 months, are now preparing to return to Earth. A Falcon 9 rocket, carrying four astronauts, was launched to help bring them back. The mission, part of NASA-SpaceX's "Crew-10" project, launched from Kennedy Space Center at 4:33 AM IST.

The launch, originally planned for the 12th, was delayed because of a problem with the rocket’s ground system. Once the issue was fixed, the launch took place successfully. The Dragon capsule on the Falcon 9 is carrying astronauts Anne McClain, Nicole Aunapu Mann, Takuya Onishi, and Kirill Peskov to the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft is expected to dock with the ISS today, and after that, Williams and Wilmore can begin their return journey on the 19th.

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore first traveled to the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which launched on June 5, 2024. They were supposed to return in a week, but technical issues delayed their journey back. After several attempts, another Starliner spacecraft is now heading to the ISS, finally allowing Williams and Wilmore to head back to Earth.