NASA astronauts return to earth after nine-month space stay

• Published On: 20 March 2025 at 06:32

NASA astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore have safely returned to Earth following a nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station.

Their return, which had been scheduled for a much shorter stay, was delayed due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.

Williams and Wilmore returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico at 5:57 p.m. ET on Tuesday after a 17-hour journey from the International Space Station.

Their return caps off an unusual and eventful chapter in recent spaceflight history, marred by ongoing issues with Boeing's Starliner and debates over the astronauts' extended stay. Williams and Wilmore first launched to the ISS in June 2024 as part of Boeing's critical effort to demonstrate its viability in NASA's Commercial Crew Program. In 2014, both Boeing and SpaceX were awarded contracts to develop spacecraft capable of transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

While SpaceX successfully completed its first crewed flight with the Crew Dragon spacecraft in 2020, Boeing's Starliner suffered numerous setbacks, including cost overruns and technical issues. The June 2024 flight was intended to demonstrate Starliner's readiness, but issues arose before the spacecraft docked with the ISS. Following additional tests on the station, NASA and Boeing decided against using Starliner for the return trip.

NASA then worked with SpaceX to return Williams and Wilmore safely. After considering various options, they decided to return in early 2025 to ensure that the ISS remained adequately staffed.

In recent months, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has claimed—without evidence—that he offered to return the astronauts sooner, but that the Biden administration declined the offer for political reasons. Former NASA officials and White House representatives have denied any knowledge of such an offer, and CNN reports that senior officials were also unaware of Musk's claims.

The successful return of Williams and Wilmore is another milestone in NASA's ongoing collaboration with private spaceflight companies, as the agency faces challenges in ensuring reliable transport to and from low Earth orbit.