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Two NASA astronauts, Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore, safely returned to Earth on Tuesday after spending nearly nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their mission, originally planned for just one week, was unexpectedly extended due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
The astronauts splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off Tallahassee at 5:57 PM ET aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule. "What a ride. I see a capsule full of grins, ear to ear," remarked fellow astronaut Nicholas Hague, who returned alongside Williams, Wilmore, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
Williams and Wilmore launched to the ISS on June 6, 2024, as test pilots for Boeing's Starliner capsule. However, thruster issues and helium leaks forced NASA to send the Starliner back to Earth empty in September, leaving the astronauts stranded.
NASA incorporated the stranded astronauts into its regular crew rotation schedule. The pair logged 286 days in space, well beyond their planned week-long mission. "We came prepared to stay long, even though we planned to stay short," Wilmore stated earlier this month.
The extended mission boosted Williams' career total to 608 days in space across three flights, making her the American astronaut with the second-longest cumulative time in space. Only Peggy Whitson has spent more time in orbit with 675 days.
The SpaceX Dragon capsule "Freedom" undocked from the space station at 1:05 AM ET on Monday, beginning its 17-hour journey back to Earth. The spacecraft slowed from 17,000 mph to just 17 mph for a gentle splashdown in what NASA described as "calm, glasslike ocean" conditions.
The mission garnered political attention, with SpaceX founder Elon Musk claiming without evidence that the astronauts had been "abandoned" by the Biden administration. According to NASA officials, the decision to keep the astronauts on the ISS was based on maintaining adequate staffing levels and operational needs.
Recovery teams quickly retrieved the capsule and astronauts. Williams emerged from the spacecraft with a thumbs-up gesture while Wilmore shook hands with the recovery crew. All four astronauts will undergo routine medical evaluations before reuniting with their families.
The future of Boeing's Starliner program remains uncertain. Aviation Week reported that Starliner is unlikely to fly again in 2025, though Boeing maintains confidence in the spacecraft and is working toward a new flight readiness certification.
