By NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams safely returned to Earth on Tuesday, making a soft splashdown off Florida’s coast in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule after spending nine months in space—far longer than the originally planned week-long stay on the International Space Station (ISS). Their extended mission was the result of technical failures with Boeing’s Starliner, which was initially intended to transport them back to Earth.
A Mission Marked by Uncertainty and Delays
Wilmore and Williams, both veteran NASA astronauts and retired U.S. Navy test pilots, launched aboard Starliner in June for what was supposed to be an eight-day test mission. However, critical propulsion system issues forced NASA to delay their return multiple times, ultimately integrating them into the agency’s standard crew rotation schedule. This led to their eventual return aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule instead of Starliner.
On Tuesday morning, the two astronauts, along with two other Crew-9 mission members, undocked from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. ET (0505 GMT) and embarked on a 17-hour journey back to Earth. The capsule re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at 17,000 mph (27,359 kph) before deploying parachutes and slowing to 17 mph at splashdown. The crew safely landed at 5:57 p.m. ET, approximately 50 miles off Florida’s Gulf Coast under clear skies.
“What a ride,” Crew-9 mission commander Nick Hague remarked after the successful landing. “I see a capsule full of grins, ear to ear.”
The astronauts will now undergo standard health checks at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston before reuniting with their families.
Political Controversy Surrounding the Mission
The delays surrounding the Starliner mission became a political flashpoint. Upon taking office in January, President Donald Trump publicly called for the immediate return of Wilmore and Williams, accusing his predecessor, Joe Biden, of having “abandoned” them on the ISS for political reasons—claims that NASA officials strongly denied.
NASA ultimately expedited the Crew-9 replacement mission to bring them back sooner, swapping a delayed SpaceX capsule for one that was ready earlier. Speaking on Tuesday, NASA’s ISS chief Joel Montalbano confirmed the agency had adjusted its schedule following Trump’s demand.
Trump, who maintains close ties with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, had also alleged that the Biden administration rejected SpaceX’s offer to send a dedicated Dragon rescue mission last year. NASA, however, countered that a separate rescue flight was unnecessary and financially unfeasible, with each Crew Dragon mission costing between $100 million and $150 million.
Trump later told Fox News that Wilmore and Williams will visit the Oval Office once they recover.
Starliner’s Future Uncertain
The mission’s technical setbacks have raised fresh concerns over Boeing’s Starliner program. The spacecraft was meant to compete with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, but its repeated failures have cast doubt on its long-term viability.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Chief, Steve Stich, suggested on Tuesday that Starliner may need to complete another uncrewed test flight before it can resume routine astronaut missions. If approved, this would be Starliner’s third uncrewed flight and fourth test overall.
Boeing, which congratulated the astronauts on their return via social media, has yet to provide a comment on the spacecraft’s future.
286 Days in Space
During their unexpectedly extended stay on the ISS, Wilmore and Williams participated in over 150 scientific experiments while assisting with maintenance and operations. They ultimately logged 286 days in space, making their mission significantly longer than the typical six-month ISS rotation. However, they remain far behind the U.S. spaceflight record of 371 days, held by astronaut Frank Rubio, and the world record of 878 cumulative days, set by Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko.
With this mission, Williams has now accumulated 608 days in space, making her the second most-experienced U.S. astronaut, trailing only Peggy Whitson’s 675 days.
Reflecting on their prolonged stay, Wilmore emphasized NASA’s adaptability in responding to unforeseen challenges.
“We came prepared to stay long, even though we planned to stay short,” he told reporters earlier this month. “That’s what human spaceflight is all about—planning for the unknown, the unexpected. And we did that.”
