'Stranded' NASA astronauts finally return to Earth after spending nine months stuck in space
After nine months aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have finally returned to Earth.
On June 5, 2024, the pair said farewell to their families and launched into space for what they initially thought would be an eight-day mission on the ISS. However, Wilmore and Williams soon discovered their stay would extend much longer than planned.
The extended mission occurred because the Boeing spacecraft meant to transport them home was deemed unsafe, forcing the astronauts to remain as their vessel departed without them. During a September interview, Williams reflected on this moment, stating: "We were watching our spaceship fly away."
NASA explained that budget constraints prevented an earlier return for the astronauts. Eventually, with assistance from Elon Musk's SpaceX, their extended space journey concluded. Crew-9, consisting of Wilmore and Williams, landed back on Earth today after SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket successfully reached the space station to retrieve them.
The SpaceX Dragon Crew splashed down near Tallahassee, Florida's coastline, under clear blue skies following a 17-hour descent from orbit. This homecoming means the astronauts will finally reunite with their families, with Williams previously mentioning in September that she missed her relatives and her two dogs, though she also described the ISS as her "happy place."
Williams also shared how being in space changed her perspective about Earth, commenting: "It opens up the door to making you think a bit differently. It's the one planet we have and we should be taking care of it. There are so many people on Earth sending us messages it makes you feel right at home with everybody."
The long-anticipated return follows a previously scheduled March 16 retrieval attempt that was postponed due to hydraulic ground problems.
The splash landing achieved success, with recovery teams promptly dispatched to retrieve the capsule from the water. Following their return, the astronauts will complete their journey to Houston, where NASA's spaceflight operations headquarters is located.
The four replacement astronauts, who were prepared to take over from Wilmore and Williams at the ISS, had already been secured in their capsule and were ready for departure. However, SpaceX made the decision to abort the mission when less than sixty minutes remained before the scheduled launch time.
