NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have safely returned to Earth after spending 286 days in space, concluding a mission that was initially intended to last only one week.
Their SpaceX capsule landed in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday evening, just hours after departing the International Space Station (ISS). The prolonged stay was due to technical issues with their Boeing Starliner capsule, which forced NASA to adjust its crew rotation plans.
A replacement crew, consisting of NASA’s Nick Hague and Russia’s Alexander Gorbunov, was sent to the ISS last fall aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, carrying two empty seats to facilitate Wilmore and Williams' return.
This mission underscores the challenges in commercial spaceflight and highlights SpaceX’s critical role in NASA’s human spaceflight operations, particularly as Boeing continues to address issues with its Starliner program.
“On behalf of SpaceX, welcome home,” radioed SpaceX Mission Control in California as the crew stepped out of the capsule.
“What a ride,” replied Hague, the capsule’s commander. "I see a capsule full of grins ear to ear".
'Nine months in the making'
During their mission, Wilmore and Williams circled Earth 4,576 times and traveled 195 million kilometers by the time of splashdown. Williams even set a record on the flight for the woman with the most time spacewalking in their career.
Wilmore and Williams quickly transitioned from guests to full-fledged station crew members, conducting experiments, fixing equipment, and doing spacewalks together.