NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth on March 18, 2025, after an extended stay in space. The two astronauts, part of the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, after an unexpected nine-month journey aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Originally intended to last only eight days, multiple technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft led to significant delays in their return.
On March 17, 2025, the astronauts undocked from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. EDT. Their return journey commenced with a de-orbit burn at 5:11 p.m. the next day. By approximately 6:00 p.m. EDT, the SpaceX Dragon capsule was confirmed to have landed safely at sea, complete with four deployed parachutes, as witnessed during a live broadcast by NASA.
The crew's extended mission began last June when Wilmore (62) and Williams (59) launched aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, expected to remain on the ISS for just over a week. However, following their arrival on June 6, 2024, complications arose, particularly with the Starliner's thruster systems and a helium leak which led to NASA’s decision to bring the spacecraft back without its crew in August. This left Wilmore and Williams to continue their work on the ISS as part of Expedition 71/72, engaging in various research and repair activities.
Adding to their time in space, Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov arrived at the ISS in September 2024, initially intending to replace them once a new crew could take over. The astronauts celebrated many occasions during their extended stay, including Thanksgiving and Christmas, providing updates about their lives in space. Williams expressed to Needham High School students in January, “It came a little bit of a shock. We knew that it would be probably a month or so, honestly. But the extended stay was just a little different.”
Throughout their extended stay, both astronauts faced public speculation and concern over their circumstances, especially after President Donald Trump suggested they had been “virtually abandoned” in space. In response, Wilmore stated during an interview with CNN, “We don’t feel abandoned, we don’t feel stuck, we don’t feel stranded... We come prepared. We come committed.” Williams echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that their training well-prepared them for such unique circumstances.
In the days leading to their return, there was heightened attention to their safe arrival back on Earth. The splashdown marked the conclusion of a long and interruptive mission, which Wilmore tallied at 404 days in space across three flights and Williams at 608 cumulative days, the second highest for any U.S. astronaut.
The Crew-9 astronauts received a warm welcome back, with reports of them grinning ear to ear upon returning to their home planet. The retrieval boat promptly collected them from the water to facilitate their medical checks. Following the splashdown, the crew was scheduled to undergo a helicopter transfer to the airport, eventually leading to a return flight to Houston for debriefings at the Johnson Space Center.
Reflecting on their extended time in space, both Wilmore and Williams expressed that they remained active and engaged with the ISS community, doing their best to maintain normalcy despite the setbacks. Williams stated, “We’re feeling good, working out, eating right. We have a lot of fun up here, too.” Their ultimate journey culminated in success, demonstrating resilience amidst unexpected challenges.
