NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams have safely returned to Earth after an unexpectedly prolonged mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their journey, initially intended to last eight days, extended to nine months due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was originally meant to bring them home.
On March 18, 2025, they departed the ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The capsule safely splashed down off the coast of Florida, where the crew was promptly retrieved and underwent medical evaluations.
Throughout their extended mission, Wilmore and Williams conducted numerous experiments, contributing valuable data for future space endeavors. Their return was met with widespread relief and celebration, marking the end of an unprecedented period in space exploration.
For a visual recap of their return, you can watch the following video: