Welcome Home! NASA astronauts return to Earth after 122 million-mile mission

Two NASA astronauts who travelled almost 122million miles and orbited the Earth more than 4,500 times have finally splashed down off the coast of Florida after spending nearly 10 months in space

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams smiled and waved as they exited their SpaceX capsule an hour after it returned to Earth yesterday afternoon.

The US Navy veterans joined the International Space Station (ISS) last June and had expected to stay in space for just eight days.

But technical issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft meant Mr Wilmore, 62, and Ms Williams, 59, left them stuck on board awaiting replacements. 

During their 286-day mission, they completed numerous experiments and spacewalks, travelled 121,347,491 miles on the ISS, and completed 4,576 orbits around Earth.

By the time they returned to Earth yesterday afternoon, Ms Williams had logged a total of 608 days in space and Mr Wilmore 464 days during their past three missions.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule that brought them home also carried NASA’s Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

Mr Hague and Mr Gorbunov joined the ISS on September 28, 2024, after blasting off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

They travelled 72,553,920 miles during their mission, spent 171 days in space, and completed 2,736 orbits around Earth.

Mr Hague has now logged 374 days in space over two missions, while the latest Crew-9 mission was Mr Gorbunov’s first.

The crew of four entered the SpaceX capsule to begin the journey home in the early hours of yesterday morning, undocking from the ISS at 1:05 am local time.

Their capsule safely splashed down in the waters of Tallahassee, Florida, in the Gulf of America, at 5.57pm local time.

Parachutes slowed its orbital speed from about 17,000 miles per hour to just 17mph.

It was hoisted on board a SpaceX recovery boat when, almost an hour after landing, the hatch was opened, and the astronauts emerged.

After returning to shore for medical checks, the crew were flown to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and were finally reunited with their families.

Mr Wilmore and Ms William’s fate had captured the attention of Donald Trump, who instructed NASA and SpaceX to bring them home quicker. He previously alleged that President Joe Biden had abandoned them in space for political reasons.

NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro said: “We are thrilled to have Suni, Butch, Nick, and Aleksandr home after their months-long mission conducting vital science, technology demonstrations, and maintenance aboard the International Space Station.

“Per President Trump’s direction, NASA and SpaceX worked diligently to pull the schedule a month earlier.

“This international crew and our teams on the ground embraced the Trump Administration’s challenge of an updated, and somewhat unique, mission plan, to bring our crew home.

“Through preparation, ingenuity, and dedication, we achieve great things together for the benefit of humanity, pushing the boundaries of what is possible from low Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars.”

Throughout its mission, Crew-9 conducted hundreds of science experiments, maintenance activities, and technology demonstrations.

Their research included investigations into plant growth and quality, as well as the potential of stem cell technology to address blood diseases, autoimmune disorders, and cancers.

They also tested lighting systems to help astronauts maintain circadian rhythms, loaded the first wooden satellite for deployment, and took samples from the space station’s exterior to study whether microorganisms can survive in space.

Ms Williams now holds the record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut, with 62 hours and 6 minutes.

The Crew-9 mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which aims to help mankind explore the Moon and Mars.

NASA said: “The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the space station and low Earth orbit.

“The program provides additional research time and has increased opportunities for discovery aboard humanity’s microgravity testbed for exploration, including helping NASA prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.”

Main image: NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov land in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida on March 18, 2025. Hague, Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore returned from a long-duration science expedition aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA