After an unexpected nine-month stay in space, NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have safely returned to Earth, closing out a remarkable and dramatic chapter in spaceflight history.
Originally scheduled for just a week aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the first crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June, the mission took an unexpected turn when thruster issues prevented Starliner from docking properly. As a result, Williams and Wilmore stayed on the ISS, while Boeing’s Starliner returned to Earth without a crew in September.
The astronauts’ return came alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who arrived in September for a six-month mission. After more than nine months in space, the four astronauts – collectively known as Crew-9 – safely splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida at 5:57 p.m. ET.
This extended mission provided valuable insights into human resilience in space and the technical challenges of space exploration. Their mission has helped advance our understanding of long-duration space travel, an important step for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond
