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Astronauts arrive back to Earth following months of being stuck in orbit
(MENAFN) NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have safely returned to Earth after spending nine months in orbit, far longer than their originally planned one-week mission. Their return, aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, marks the end of a prolonged stay caused by malfunctions in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
Williams and Wilmore, along with NASA’s Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, undocked from the ISS at 1:05 am ET on Tuesday. After a 17-hour descent, they splashed down off Florida’s coast at 5:57 pm ET.
“What a ride,” said Nick Hague, the Crew-9 mission commander, moments after landing. “I see a capsule full of grins, ear to ear.”
Following recovery from the ocean, the astronauts will undergo routine health checks at NASA’s Johnson Space Center before reuniting with their families.
Wilmore and Williams initially launched on June 5, 2024, to test Boeing’s Starliner, a spacecraft designed to rival SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. However, the Starliner suffered multiple technical failures, including helium leaks, thruster issues, and a malfunctioning propellant valve.
Due to these malfunctions, NASA deemed a return on the Starliner too risky, leading to an unplanned extension of Wilmore and Williams' stay. The astronauts were incorporated into the ISS’ crew rotation, and Boeing’s troubled spacecraft was eventually brought back to Earth uncrewed in September.
After taking office in January, President Donald Trump called on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to bring the astronauts home, criticizing his predecessor Joe Biden for leaving them "stranded." NASA, however, maintained that the decision was operational, not political.
The incident has been embarrassing for Boeing, as its direct competitor, SpaceX, had to step in to bring the astronauts back. The future of Boeing’s Starliner program now remains uncertain.
While Wilmore and Williams spent 286 days in space, their mission fell short of the world record—held by Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov, who spent 437 days in orbit.
Williams and Wilmore, along with NASA’s Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, undocked from the ISS at 1:05 am ET on Tuesday. After a 17-hour descent, they splashed down off Florida’s coast at 5:57 pm ET.
“What a ride,” said Nick Hague, the Crew-9 mission commander, moments after landing. “I see a capsule full of grins, ear to ear.”
Following recovery from the ocean, the astronauts will undergo routine health checks at NASA’s Johnson Space Center before reuniting with their families.
Wilmore and Williams initially launched on June 5, 2024, to test Boeing’s Starliner, a spacecraft designed to rival SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. However, the Starliner suffered multiple technical failures, including helium leaks, thruster issues, and a malfunctioning propellant valve.
Due to these malfunctions, NASA deemed a return on the Starliner too risky, leading to an unplanned extension of Wilmore and Williams' stay. The astronauts were incorporated into the ISS’ crew rotation, and Boeing’s troubled spacecraft was eventually brought back to Earth uncrewed in September.
After taking office in January, President Donald Trump called on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to bring the astronauts home, criticizing his predecessor Joe Biden for leaving them "stranded." NASA, however, maintained that the decision was operational, not political.
The incident has been embarrassing for Boeing, as its direct competitor, SpaceX, had to step in to bring the astronauts back. The future of Boeing’s Starliner program now remains uncertain.
While Wilmore and Williams spent 286 days in space, their mission fell short of the world record—held by Russian cosmonaut Valery Polyakov, who spent 437 days in orbit.
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