Following the concussion of their space mission, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore safely splashed down off the coast of Florida at around 3.30 AM Indian Time bringing an end to an extended nine-month stay at the International Space Station. The mission was expected to last for eight days in space after Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule was launched on June 5.
The Space X capsule of Williams and Butch Wilmore was parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico early on Wednesday (Indian Time), just hours following their departure from the International Space Station. The splashdown took place off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, drawing curtains to their unexpected nine-month stint in the International Space Station.
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Splashdown confirmed! #Crew9 is now back on Earth in their @SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. pic.twitter.com/G5tVyqFbAu
— NASA (@NASA) March 18, 2025
The historic space mission, which saw an extension of nine months following numerous technical issues, was supposed to end in eight days. The technical issues which arose during the journey to the space station prompted NASA to return the Starliner empty and transfer the test pilots to SpaceX.
Following this, the return of the astronauts was pushed to February, and further delays due to issues with the SpaceX capsule extended their stay in the International Space Station by another month. Following the arrival of their relief crew on Sunday, Wilmore and Williams were finally cleared to return. Keeping the unpredictable weather forecast in consideration, the space agency opted for an early departure.
The two astronauts departed alongside NASA’s Nick Hague and Russia’s Alexander Gorbunov, who had arrived last fall in their own SpaceX capsule, which carried two empty seats reserved for the Starliner duo, according to an India Today report. In total, Williams and Wilmore spent 286 days in space. This stint was 278 days longer than that originally planned.
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