After spending far longer in space than originally planned, four astronauts have safely returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, alongside Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov and fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague, splashed down off the coast of Florida at 5:57 p.m. EDT. Their return marked the completion of NASA’s ninth commercial crew rotation mission, Crew-9.
Originally, Wilmore and Williams were set for an eight-day stay on the International Space Station (ISS) after launching aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2024. However, a thruster malfunction forced them to extend their mission, leaving them stranded on the ISS for nine months. Starliner was eventually returned to Earth empty, and NASA secured seats for the pair on SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, which had initially launched with two astronauts instead of four.
Once the spacecraft was recovered from the water, a pod of dolphins was seen circling nearby. The returning crew members smiled and waved as they exited the capsule. Medical teams were present to assist them onto stretchers, a standard procedure after long-duration missions due to the effects of microgravity on the body.
During their extended stay, Wilmore and Williams contributed to scientific experiments, conducted spacewalks, and even celebrated Christmas in orbit. Williams, who now holds the record for the most time spent outside the space station by a female astronaut, was instrumental in maintenance tasks, including repairing antennas and collecting space-exposed samples.
Now back on Earth, the astronauts will undergo medical evaluations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Spending months in microgravity weakens muscles, reduces bone density, and alters blood circulation. Their recovery will involve an extensive exercise regimen to rebuild strength and counteract the physical toll of space travel.
