NASA astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore have safely returned to Earth after a prolonged nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station.
Their return, originally scheduled for a much shorter stay, was delayed due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
Williams and Wilmore completed their journey back aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico at 5:57 p.m. ET on Tuesday following a 17-hour trip from the ISS.
Their return concludes an unusual and eventful chapter in recent spaceflight history, marred by persistent problems with Boeing’s Starliner and debates surrounding the astronauts’ extended stay. Williams and Wilmore initially launched to the ISS in June 2024 as part of Boeing’s crucial attempt to prove its viability in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Boeing and SpaceX were both awarded contracts in 2014 to develop spacecraft capable of ferrying astronauts to and from the ISS.
While SpaceX successfully conducted its first crewed flight with the Crew Dragon spacecraft in 2020, Boeing’s Starliner faced repeated setbacks, including cost overruns and technical failures. The June 2024 flight was meant to demonstrate Starliner’s readiness, but complications arose before the spacecraft even docked with the ISS. Following additional tests aboard the station, NASA and Boeing ultimately decided against using Starliner for the return trip.
NASA then collaborated with SpaceX to bring Williams and Wilmore back safely. After evaluating various options, they scheduled the return for early 2025 to ensure the ISS remained adequately staffed.
In recent months, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has suggested—without evidence—that he had offered to return the astronauts sooner, but that the Biden administration declined the proposal for political reasons. Former NASA officials and White House representatives have denied knowledge of any such offer, with CNN reporting that senior officials were also unaware of Musk’s claims.
The successful return of Williams and Wilmore marks another milestone for NASA’s ongoing collaboration with private spaceflight companies, as the agency continues to navigate challenges in ensuring reliable transport to and from low Earth orbit.
