NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore returned to Earth on March 18, 2025, after a prolonged mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Initially launched in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, their mission was intended to last approximately eight days. However, technical issues with the Starliner’s thrusters left them stranded on the ISS for nearly nine months.
To facilitate their return, NASA coordinated with SpaceX, resulting in the Crew-9 mission. On March 18, the SpaceX Dragon Freedom capsule, carrying Williams, Wilmore, NASA astronaut Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, safely splashed down off the coast of Florida at 5:57 p.m. EDT.
The extended mission provided valuable data on long-duration spaceflight, contributing to our understanding of human adaptability and the effects of microgravity. Following their return, the crew underwent medical evaluations and were reunited with their families.