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Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have returned to Earth after a planned 8-day mission turned into a 9-month stay in space. They had traveled to the International Space Station (ISS) on June 5 last year aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft but were unable to return as planned due to technical issues.
This morning, they finally came back to Earth in SpaceX's Dragon capsule, which safely landed in the ocean near Florida. Their journey back took 17 hours, alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
After landing, a NASA team opened the capsule and helped the astronauts out. Sunita Williams was seen smiling, waving, and giving a thumbs-up as she stepped out.
THE MOMENT! Sunita Williams exits the Dragon capsule#sunitawilliamsreturn #SunitaWillams pic.twitter.com/sCsYw7MUgq
— JUST IN | World (@justinbroadcast) March 18, 2025
Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks! pic.twitter.com/M4RZ6UYsQ2
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 18, 2025
Unexpected Delays in Space
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore had originally planned for a short stay at the ISS, but problems with their Starliner spacecraft left them stranded. Boeing’s capsule was sent back to Earth without a crew in September, and NASA reassigned them to SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission instead.
Finally, after several delays, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying a replacement crew reached the ISS on Sunday. With Crew-10 now taking over, Crew-9, including Williams and Wilmore, could return home.
Health Challenges After Long Space Stay
Spending a long time in space can cause health problems. Astronauts face bone and muscle loss, radiation exposure, and even vision issues. NASA says that without proper exercise, astronauts lose about 1% of their bone density each month in space. Their muscles also weaken because they don’t need to work as hard in a zero-gravity environment.
PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 18, 2025
Today, they safely splashed down in the Gulf of America, thanks to @ElonMusk, @SpaceX, and @NASA! pic.twitter.com/r01hVWAC8S
PM Modi's Letter to Sunita Williams
As Sunita Williams prepared for her return, a letter from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was made public. In the letter, dated March 1, PM Modi said he had spoken about her with former US President Donald Trump and Joe Biden during his visits to the US.
"1.4 billion Indians have always taken great pride in your achievements," he wrote, praising her courage and perseverance.
Now back on Earth, Sunita Williams and her team will undergo medical check-ups and recovery after their long and unexpected journey in space.
