NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have returned to Earth after spending nine months in space.

Their SpaceX capsule re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere in a rapid and fiery descent before deploying four parachutes for a smooth splashdown off the Florida coast. As the spacecraft floated in the water, a pod of dolphins was seen nearby.

A recovery team lifted the capsule from the ocean, and the astronauts emerged smiling and waving, accompanied by fellow crew members Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov.

Initially planned as an eight-day mission, their stay was significantly extended due to technical issues with the Starliner spacecraft they had traveled in. The capsule was deemed unsafe for return, forcing NASA to arrange an alternative ride aboard a SpaceX capsule, which extended their mission by several months.

“The crew is doing great,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, praised their resilience, calling their return a “beautiful landing.”

The journey back to Earth lasted 17 hours. After exiting the capsule, the astronauts were placed on stretchers as part of standard procedure following prolonged weightlessness. Medical teams will now monitor their recovery before they reunite with their families.

During their extended stay, Butch and Suni contributed to various experiments and spacewalks, with Suni setting a new record for the most hours spent outside the space station by a female astronaut. Despite missing key celebrations like Christmas, they embraced the mission’s challenges, even donning festive hats to send greetings back home.

The astronauts will now undergo health assessments at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they will follow a strict exercise regimen to readjust to Earth’s gravity after months in space. British astronaut Tim Peake noted that while space travel feels effortless, returning to Earth’s gravity can be physically demanding.

Looking forward to her return, Suni previously shared her excitement about reuniting with her family, her dogs, and even jumping into the ocean—eager to experience the feeling of being back on solid ground.

Source: BBC

BDST: 1205 HRS, March 19, 2025
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