NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams have finally returned to Earth after an unexpected nine-month stay in space, following complications during a Boeing test flight. Their homecoming marks the end of a prolonged and uncertain mission that began with a flawed launch last June.
Wilmore and Williams made their return aboard a SpaceX capsule, which parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, on Tuesday evening. Their capsule`s splashdown occurred just hours after they departed the International Space Station (ISS). According to AP reports, within an hour of landing, both astronauts were out of the capsule, smiling and waving at cameras as they were assisted into reclining stretchers for routine medical checks.
Their mission started with Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule test flight on 5 June 2024. Initially planned as a brief one-week mission, the journey quickly unravelled when multiple technical issues arose on the way to the ISS. NASA ultimately decided to send the Starliner capsule back empty, forcing the astronauts to extend their stay until February. Further delays due to issues with the replacement SpaceX capsule pushed their return back by another month.
The arrival of their relief crew on Sunday cleared the path for Wilmore and Williams` departure. NASA accelerated their return due to an uncertain weather forecast later in the week. They were accompanied to the ISS departure point by NASA`s Nick Hague and Russia`s Alexander Gorbunov, who arrived last autumn aboard a SpaceX capsule with two empty seats set aside for the Starliner duo.
Watch Dragon and Crew-9 return to Earth → https://t.co/ZZEmGU8Aar https://t.co/aqY6RNsEfK
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 18, 2025
By the time they splashed down, Wilmore and Williams had spent 286 days in space—278 days longer than initially expected. Over the course of their mission, they orbited Earth 4,576 times and travelled approximately 121 million miles (195 million kilometres). “On behalf of SpaceX, welcome home,” radioed SpaceX Mission Control in California. Hague, the capsule`s commander, responded, “What a ride. I see a capsule full of grins ear to ear.”
Congratulations to the @SpaceX and @NASA teams for another safe astronaut return!
Thank you to @POTUS for prioritizing this mission! https://t.co/KknFDbh59s
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 18, 2025
Dolphins circled the capsule as recovery divers prepared to lift it onto the recovery ship. Wilmore and Williams emerged from the capsule one at a time, both giving thumbs up. Williams was next-to-last out, followed by Wilmore, who beamed as he was helped onto the deck.
Their prolonged stay captured global attention, with their unexpected extension becoming a talking point worldwide. While other astronauts have logged longer missions, none have faced the uncertainty and last-minute changes that Wilmore and Williams endured. The duo quickly transitioned from test pilots to integral ISS crew members, conducting experiments, repairing equipment, and even carrying out spacewalks together. Williams set a record for the most time spent spacewalking by a female astronaut, with 62 hours logged over nine spacewalks.
Williams also took on the role of station commander three months into their stay, holding the position until earlier this month. Both astronauts maintained a professional demeanour despite the political tensions surrounding their delayed return. In January, former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly criticised the Biden administration for the delay and pressed SpaceX founder Elon Musk to expedite their return. SpaceX ultimately swapped the planned capsule with a used one, allowing for an earlier return.
Wilmore, 62, and Williams, 59, both retired Navy captains, likened the extended mission to a military deployment. However, the prolonged stay came at a personal cost. Wilmore missed most of his younger daughter`s final year of high school, while Williams maintained contact with her family via internet calls from space. “We have not been worried about her because she has been in good spirits,” said Falguni Pandya, Williams` cousin. “She was definitely ready to come home.”
Prayers for their safe return were offered at 21 Hindu temples across the United States, organised by the World Hindu Council of America. Williams, who has Indian and Slovenian heritage, has openly spoken about her cultural roots. Wilmore’s Baptist church in Houston also held prayer sessions for the pair’s safe return.
According to AP reports, the astronauts will be flown to Houston once they are off the recovery ship. They will undergo medical evaluations to adjust to gravity after their extended time in microgravity. NASA plans to decommission the ISS by 2030, replacing it with privately operated stations to allow the agency to focus on missions to the Moon and Mars.
(With inputs from AP)
