NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have safely returned to Earth after spending nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to technical issues with their original spacecraft.

The duo landed on Tuesday as SpaceX’s Dragon Freedom capsule splashed down off the coast of Florida, concluding a mission that was initially meant to last just eight days.

Stranded in Space After Starliner Malfunctions

Williams and Wilmore had traveled to the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for its first crewed test flight. However, shortly after reaching the station, the capsule experienced multiple thruster malfunctions, making it unsafe for their return journey.

By September, NASA decided to send the Starliner back to Earth without a crew, leaving the astronauts without a way home. They were eventually assigned seats on SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, but since it was part of a scheduled six-month rotation, they had to remain aboard the ISS until now.

NASA Confirms Safe Return

NASA announced their safe return on Tuesday, sharing on X (formerly Twitter):

“Home sweet home. NASA’s SpaceX #Crew9 touched down at Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field in Houston at 11:19 p.m. CDT, March 18, after their @Space_Station mission and successful splashdown earlier this afternoon.”

Extended Stay and Spacewalk Record

Despite the extended mission, NASA maintained that Williams and Wilmore were safe at all times, with emergency spacecraft docked at the ISS as a precaution. During their prolonged stay, they conducted various research experiments and participated in spacewalks.

Notably, Sunita Williams set a new record for the most time spent outside the space station by a female astronaut.

Their safe return marks the end of an unexpected but historic mission, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of astronauts in space.