NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams safely returned to Earth after an extended nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), touching down off the coast of Florida on Wednesday.
The duo, who initially embarked on a short eight-day mission, found their stay dramatically prolonged due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which had transported them to the ISS in June 2024. With Starliner deemed unsafe for the return journey, the astronauts were forced to await an alternative ride home.
After months of uncertainty, Wilmore and Williams finally boarded a SpaceX Dragon capsule, which had been sent to the ISS in late September as part of a scheduled crew rotation mission. The spacecraft, originally designed for four astronauts, accommodated the pair alongside fellow crew members Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
Their return was marked by a fiery re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere before the capsule deployed four parachutes, allowing for a controlled splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. As the recovery team worked to retrieve the crew, a pod of dolphins was spotted circling the craft.
Following their extraction, the astronauts appeared in good spirits, smiling and waving as they were assisted out of the capsule. "The crew’s doing great," Steve Stich, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager, stated at a press conference.
Mission extended beyond expectations
The astronauts’ prolonged stay was necessitated by critical malfunctions in the Starliner spacecraft, which faced several technical difficulties on its journey to the ISS. The capsule was eventually returned to Earth empty in September, leaving Wilmore and Williams stranded in orbit longer than anticipated.
To facilitate their return, NASA opted to place them on Crew Dragon’s next scheduled mission, which meant they had to remain on the ISS for nearly six additional months.
Despite the unexpected extension, the astronauts remained engaged in scientific research and maintenance work aboard the ISS. Notably, Williams broke the record for the most hours spent on spacewalks by a female astronaut.
At Christmas, the crew donned festive Santa hats and reindeer antlers, sending a holiday message back to Earth, despite originally planning to celebrate with their families.
Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator at NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, praised their adaptability, stating: "It is awesome to have Crew-9 home—just a beautiful landing. They showed remarkable resilience, and we appreciate SpaceX’s role as a great partner in this mission."
Challenges of returning to gravity
The journey home took 17 hours, and upon landing, the astronauts were placed on stretchers—a standard procedure following long-duration missions. Extended exposure to weightlessness leads to muscle atrophy, bone density loss, and circulatory issues, making re-acclimation to Earth’s gravity a gradual process.
Wilmore and Williams will undergo medical evaluations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where they will begin a rigorous rehabilitation programme.
British astronaut Tim Peake, reflecting on his own return from space, described the re-adjustment period as physically demanding. "Those first two or three days back on Earth can be really punishing," he told the BBC. "Your heart, muscles, and bones have to work much harder after months in zero gravity."
Williams, speaking to CBS before her return, had expressed excitement about reuniting with loved ones. "I'm looking forward to seeing my family, my dogs, and jumping in the ocean. That will be really nice—to be back on Earth and feel Earth."
