NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have returned to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) without any complications.
Williams and Wilmore, along with astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, made a safe landing in the Atlantic Ocean near Tallahassee, Florida, just prior to 6 p.m. ET. The weather was perfect, with NASA’s live broadcast describing the ocean as “like glass.”
After the splashdown of the Dragon capsule carrying SpaceX’s Crew-9, speedboats swiftly arrived to provide assistance. NASA officials entered the capsule to check on the astronauts, while dolphins were seen swimming nearby. Soon after, the capsule was hoisted onto a recovery vessel, the *Megan*, and washed down to eliminate corrosive seawater.
The hatch was opened promptly, with Commander Nick Hague being the first to exit, followed by Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore. Within just one hour of landing, all four astronauts were taken out on stretchers to help them readjust to Earth’s gravity.
This mission held particular importance as Williams and Wilmore had initially intended to remain on the ISS for only eight days. However, due to propulsion problems with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft upon their arrival last June, their mission was extended to 286 days—over nine months in space.
NASA will provide additional updates on the astronauts’ return during a press briefing at 7:30 p.m. ET.