SpaceX's Dragon capsule bobs in the ocean off Florida, returning NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov after a 17-hour flight from the International Space Station. (Photo courtesy of NASA)
Two NASA astronauts who spent more than nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have finally landed on Earth.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams splashed down off the coast of Florida in a SpaceX Dragon capsule at 5:57 p.m. ET Tuesday (March 18). NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov were also among the four people who returned to Earth Tuesday.
They were greeted with cheers from mission control as the capsule made a successful entry into the ocean. Williams and Wilmore appeared healthy and in good spirits as their mission, which was supposed to last just eight days but had unexpectedly stretched to nearly 300, finally came to an end.
The Dragon capsule deploys parachutes, slowing its fall to 16 miles per hour before splashing down in the ocean.
“Nick, Alex, Butch, Suni — on behalf of SpaceX, welcome home,” mission managers said during a NASA broadcast.
“What an amazing journey,” said Commander Nick Hague after landing. “I see a capsule full of smiles from ear to ear.”
Long haul
Wilmore and Williams arrived at the ISS on the first crewed test flight of Boeing's Starliner. The spacecraft launched on its first crewed test flight from the space station at Cape Canaveral in Florida on June 5, 2024.
However, shortly after reaching orbit, several problems arose, including five helium leaks and five reaction control system failures, leading to the mission being terminated.
The return flight, which was part of NASA's planned rotation between the Crew-9 and Crew-10 missions, also included Hague and Gorbunov — half the normal crew to make room for Wilmore and Williams.
The SpaceX Dragon crew capsule undocked from the ISS's Harmony module at 1:05 a.m. ET before beginning the 17-hour journey home.
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