The Crossbill Team
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, who spent more than nine months in space due to technical setbacks, have safely returned to Earth.
The SpaceX capsule carrying the astronauts made a successful splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast at 5:57 p.m. ET on Tuesday, bringing an end to their unexpectedly prolonged mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The re-entry of the spacecraft was met with cheers from ground control as it streaked through the atmosphere before deploying parachutes for a smooth landing.
Wilmore and Williams, accompanied by fellow astronauts Nick Hague of the United States and Aleksandr Gorbunov of Russia, completed a 17-hour journey back from the ISS. Following the splashdown, they were set to be transported to NASA’s Space Center in Houston for routine medical evaluations.
The mission also became a political issue after US President Donald Trump, upon taking office in January, called for the expedited return of the two American astronauts and, without evidence, accused former President Joe Biden of "abandoning" them on the ISS for political reasons.
Live footage captured emotional farewells as the crew bid goodbye to their colleagues aboard the ISS. Moments before departure, they were seen exchanging hugs, laughter, and posing for photographs before being sealed inside the SpaceX capsule for final pre-flight checks, including pressure and communication tests. The four astronauts were part of NASA’s Crew-9 rotation mission, which facilitates crew exchanges on the ISS.
“Crew-9 is going home,” declared mission commander Nick Hague from within the capsule. Reflecting on the extended mission, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to live and work on the station as part of an international collaboration “for the benefit of humanity.”
Wilmore and Williams were originally launched in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for what was intended to be a brief test mission. However, technical failures in Starliner’s propulsion system forced multiple delays in their return, significantly extending their stay beyond the standard six-month ISS rotation.
In light of ongoing concerns about Starliner’s reliability, NASA opted to bring the astronauts back via SpaceX.
NASA, however, maintained that the safety of the crew was its top priority and that decisions regarding their return were made based on technical and logistical considerations.
The SpaceX capsule carrying the astronauts made a successful splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast at 5:57 p.m. ET on Tuesday, bringing an end to their unexpectedly prolonged mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The re-entry of the spacecraft was met with cheers from ground control as it streaked through the atmosphere before deploying parachutes for a smooth landing.
Wilmore and Williams, accompanied by fellow astronauts Nick Hague of the United States and Aleksandr Gorbunov of Russia, completed a 17-hour journey back from the ISS. Following the splashdown, they were set to be transported to NASA’s Space Center in Houston for routine medical evaluations.
The mission also became a political issue after US President Donald Trump, upon taking office in January, called for the expedited return of the two American astronauts and, without evidence, accused former President Joe Biden of "abandoning" them on the ISS for political reasons.
Live footage captured emotional farewells as the crew bid goodbye to their colleagues aboard the ISS. Moments before departure, they were seen exchanging hugs, laughter, and posing for photographs before being sealed inside the SpaceX capsule for final pre-flight checks, including pressure and communication tests. The four astronauts were part of NASA’s Crew-9 rotation mission, which facilitates crew exchanges on the ISS.
“Crew-9 is going home,” declared mission commander Nick Hague from within the capsule. Reflecting on the extended mission, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to live and work on the station as part of an international collaboration “for the benefit of humanity.”
Wilmore and Williams were originally launched in June aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for what was intended to be a brief test mission. However, technical failures in Starliner’s propulsion system forced multiple delays in their return, significantly extending their stay beyond the standard six-month ISS rotation.
In light of ongoing concerns about Starliner’s reliability, NASA opted to bring the astronauts back via SpaceX.
Dragon separation confirmed! pic.twitter.com/xjToQWAsLm
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 18, 2025
NASA, however, maintained that the safety of the crew was its top priority and that decisions regarding their return were made based on technical and logistical considerations.
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