They are finally back.
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have finally returned to Earth after an extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Initially, their mission was to last only a week when they launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June. However, due to unexpected circumstances, they remained on the space station for over nine months.
The astronauts made their journey back to Earth inside a SpaceX Dragon capsule, accompanied by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The group, known as Crew-9, departed from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. ET on Tuesday and safely splashed down off the coast of Florida at around 5:57 p.m. ET.
This marked the conclusion of an unusual and eventful chapter in space exploration. Williams and Wilmore initially encountered technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, specifically with its thrusters, as it was attempting to dock with the space station. Due to these complications, NASA opted to return the Starliner to Earth in September without a crew on board.
While the Starliner returned unmanned, Williams and Wilmore extended their stay at the ISS and coordinated their eventual return with Hague and Gorbunov, who had arrived in September for a six-month mission.
