NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams And Butch Wilmore Finally Return; Know Why Their Mission Was Extended

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have safely returned to Earth, concluding their unexpectedly prolonged mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
sunita williams return

After an extended nine-month stay in space, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have finally made their way back to Earth, concluding an unplanned and challenging mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, carrying Williams, Wilmore, along with astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Tallahassee, Florida, at approximately 3:30 am (IST), following a 17-hour journey after undocking from the ISS.

Astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Return To Earth

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams have safely returned to Earth after spending nine months in space, far exceeding their originally planned week-long stay. The duo bid farewell to the ISS, where they had been stationed since last spring, and departed along with two fellow astronauts.

Their capsule successfully undocked from the ISS before dawn, aiming for a splashdown off the Florida coast by early evening, provided weather conditions permitted a smooth landing. Joining Wilmore and Williams on the journey back were NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, both part of Crew-9. Hague and Gorbunov had initially arrived at the ISS in September aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft, which had two vacant seats for the returning crew.

Why Was Sunita Williams And Butch Wilmore’s Return Delayed?

NASA initially planned for astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore to spend just about a week in space after launching aboard Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule on June 5, 2024. However, a series of unexpected technical issues significantly altered their mission timeline, as per NASA.

Upon approaching the ISS, their Starliner capsule experienced thruster malfunctions. Further investigations uncovered deformed Teflon seals in the thrusters, prompting NASA to declare the spacecraft unsafe for their return. As a result, NASA decided to send the Starliner back empty and transferred the astronauts to SpaceX, delaying their homecoming until February 2025.

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Additional complications arose when technical issues with the SpaceX capsule caused yet another month-long delay. Their return was further postponed due to setbacks in launching their replacement mission, SpaceX's Crew-10, which was pushed from March 12, 2025, to March 14, 2025. Ultimately, what was meant to be an eight-day mission stretched into an unexpected nine-month stay in space.

The mission sparked controversy when former President Donald Trump and his adviser, Elon Musk who is also the CEO of SpaceX, claimed, without evidence, that President Joe Biden had deliberately abandoned Williams and Wilmore on the space station for political reasons. However, the two astronauts firmly denied these allegations.

What Did The Stuck NASA Astronauts Eat For Nine Months?

On November 18, 2025, The New York Post reported that NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams had been enjoying meals like pizza, roast chicken, and shrimp cocktails aboard the ISS. NASA medics closely monitored their diet to ensure proper calorie intake during their extended stay in space.

A NASA-released image from September 9, 2024, captured Wilmore and Williams dining on the ISS, with some of these food items clearly visible in the background.

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Keep reading Herzindagi for more such stories.

Credits: SpaceX Twitter/ANI Twitter



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