WASHINGTON: Two NASA astronauts, who faced an unexpected nine-month delay in space due to technical issues, have finally returned to Earth. They safely landed off the coast of Florida in a SpaceX capsule, marking the end of their prolonged mission.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying astronauts Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and deployed parachutes for a smooth splashdown at 5:57 pm (2157 GMT) on Tuesday. The capsule, named *Freedom*, endured scorching temperatures of up to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (2,000 degrees Celsius) during re-entry before landing gently in the ocean under clear skies.
Ground teams cheered as the charred, gumdrop-shaped capsule floated steadily on the water. Recovery boats quickly approached to conduct initial safety checks, followed by a larger vessel to retrieve the crew. The astronauts will now undergo a 45-day rehabilitation program in Houston.
“What a ride—I see a capsule full of friends here,” Hague remarked after the successful landing.
The four astronauts had departed the International Space Station (ISS) approximately 17 hours earlier, exchanging heartfelt goodbyes and hugs with the remaining crew members. Wilmore and Williams, both former Navy pilots and seasoned astronauts, initially traveled to the ISS in June 2023 aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for what was intended to be a brief test mission. However, technical issues with the Starliner’s propulsion system left them stranded, forcing NASA to reassign them to the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which arrived at the ISS in September with a reduced crew to accommodate the duo.
Their 286-day stay in space, though longer than the typical six-month ISS rotation, ranks sixth among U.S. records for single-mission duration. The record for the longest U.S. spaceflight is held by Frank Rubio, who spent 371 days in orbit in 2023, while Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov holds the world record with 437 consecutive days aboard the Mir station.
Despite the challenges of extended spaceflight—such as muscle and bone loss, fluid shifts, and vision issues—experts like Rihana Bokhari of the Center for Space Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine noted that these risks are well understood and managed. “Folks like Suni Williams are known for their dedication to exercise, often exceeding their prescribed routines,” Bokhari explained.
The astronauts’ unexpected extended stay, away from their families and initially without sufficient supplies, has drawn widespread public sympathy. Joseph Keebler, a psychologist at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, praised their resilience, stating, “If you found out you were stuck in your office for nine months, you might panic. These individuals have shown incredible strength.”
Their prolonged mission also sparked political controversy, with former President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk suggesting that President Joe Biden had neglected the astronauts and rejected earlier rescue plans. These claims, however, have been widely criticized by the space community, as NASA’s plan for the astronauts’ return remained consistent following their reassignment to the Crew-9 mission.
Trump’s comments, including referring to Williams as “the woman with the wild hair” and speculating about the personal dynamics between the astronauts, have further fueled the debate. “They’ve been left up there—I hope they like each other, maybe they love each other, I don’t know,” he remarked during a recent press conference.
Despite the political noise, the safe return of Wilmore, Williams, Hague, and Gorbunov marks a significant achievement for NASA and SpaceX, highlighting the resilience and dedication of astronauts in the face of unforeseen challenges.
