After an extended and unplanned stay in space, Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams safely returned to Earth on Tuesday, marking the end of a nine-month-long ordeal that saw them stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their SpaceX capsule successfully splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, just hours after their departure from the ISS.
Their journey, which was initially supposed to last a little over a week, turned into a record-setting mission due to persistent technical setbacks with Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule. The two astronauts originally launched aboard Starliner on June 5, but were forced to extend their mission indefinitely when a series of failures rendered the capsule unfit for a return trip. Nasa ultimately decided to bring them home via SpaceX, which faced its own delays, further prolonging their time in orbit.
Upon splashdown, SpaceX confirmed their safe return in a post on X, “Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks!”
A mission far beyond expectations
During their unexpected 286-day space sojourn, Wilmore and Williams completed an astonishing 4,576 orbits around Earth and travelled approximately 121 million miles (195 million kilometres). While astronauts have spent longer durations in space, none have faced such prolonged uncertainty regarding their return date.
Throughout their stay, the astronauts transitioned from guests to full-time ISS crew members, participating in vital experiments, repairing equipment, and conducting spacewalks. Williams, who took on the role of ISS commander three months into their mission, set a record for the most time spent spacewalking by a female astronaut, logging 62 hours over nine excursions.
Their extended mission took an unexpected political turn in January when former President Donald Trump urged SpaceX founder Elon Musk to accelerate their return, blaming the delay on the Biden administration. Although Nasa maintained that safety was the priority, SpaceX ultimately expedited the process by substituting a used capsule for their return journey, shaving off a few weeks from their wait time.
A welcome homecoming
Wilmore, 62, and Williams, 59, had mixed emotions about their prolonged mission. While they expressed gratitude for the opportunity, they admitted it was difficult on their families. Wilmore missed most of his younger daughter’s senior year of high school, while Williams stayed in touch with loved ones through internet calls from space.
Their return was met with prayers and well-wishes from across the US In particular, 21 Hindu temples held prayers for Williams, whose Indian and Slovenian heritage has been a source of inspiration for many. Wilmore, a Baptist elder from Houston, also received prayers for his safe return from his church congregation.