POLOKWANE – NASA astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams have safely returned to Earth after an unexpected nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Wilmore and Williams were only meant to be in space for a brief eight-day test flight but their stay was prolonged due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
@dailymail NASA’s stranded astronauts have finally returned to Earth after spending nine grueling months on the International Space Station (ISS). Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida at 5:57pm ET this evening. They were accompanied by the Crew-9 astronauts, NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Read the full story on DailyMail.com. Link in bio. 🎥 Reuters #news #breakingnews #nasa #spacex #space #astronauts ♬ stellar (Sped Up) – .diedlonely & énouement
The duo launched to the ISS on June 6, 2024, aboard the Boeing Starliner for its first crewed test flight, however, propulsion system malfunctions in the Starliner led NASA to deem the spacecraft unsafe for return, extending the astronauts’ stay to support ongoing research and station operations.
To facilitate their return, NASA and SpaceX coordinated the Crew-9 mission.
On March 14, 2025, the Crew-9 spacecraft carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov launched to the ISS.
After a brief handover period, all four astronauts boarded the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule for their journey home.
The capsule undocked from the ISS on Tuesday (March 18) and successfully splashed down off the coast of Florida in the USA just before midnight in South Africa.
Upon landing, the astronauts were carried away on stretchers, a standard procedure for those returning from extended periods in microgravity.
@cnn NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are greeted after their return capsule was retrieved. The two astronauts spent more than nine months aboard the International Space Station after their weeklong mission was extended due to issues with their original spacecraft. #cnn #news #spacex #nasa ♬ original sound – CNN
This precaution helps astronauts deal with temporary changes like muscle loss and balance issues after spending so much time in zero gravity.
@metrouk After spending nine months in space, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally set to return home today in a SpaceX capsule! 🧑🚀 But as they reunite with gravity after so long they are likely to experience dizziness, muscle atrophy and ‘baby feet.’ Luckily with extensive evaluations and rehabilitation on Earth, most astronauts fully recover from the side effects of prolonged periods in space. But some can suffer long-term effects. #space #spacex #nasa #usanews #worldnews #astronout #interestingfacts
Despite these challenges, both Wilmore and Williams were reported to be in good spirits and are undergoing routine medical evaluations.
