NASA Astronauts Sunita Williams And Butch Willmore Head Back To Earth On SpaceX Dragon Capsule

After several delays, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams have finally begun their journey back to Earth in a SpaceX capsule after an extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS).

What Happened: The astronauts departed early Tuesday morning, concluding a mission that extended far beyond its original timeline—the duo, along with two other astronauts, undocked from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. ET, beginning a 17-hour trip to Earth.

Their return marks the end of a mission initially planned as an eight-day test flight but extended due to technical issues with the Boeing Co. ( BA ) Starliner spacecraft.

Wilmore and Williams were part of NASA’s Crew-9 mission, which faced delays after the Starliner’s propulsion system malfunctioned. This led to NASA’s decision to bring them back using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, the only operational U.S. orbital-class crew spacecraft.

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The astronauts are expected to splash down off Florida’s coast at 5:57 p.m. ET. Upon their return, they will undergo health checks at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston before reuniting with their families.

Wilmore and Williams conducted scientific research and maintenance tasks during their extended stay, including spacewalks. Their mission drew attention from U.S. President Donald Trump, who advocated for their earlier return.

Why It Matters: The return of Wilmore and Williams marks the resolution of a prolonged mission that was initially delayed due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

The astronauts were originally scheduled for a brief mission, but their stay was extended to nine months due to the propulsion system malfunction. In response, NASA and SpaceX launched a new crew to the ISS to facilitate their return.

Compounding the delay, a hydraulics issue with the SpaceX Crew-10 mission further postponed their return. Despite speculation about political influences, Wilmore clarified that the delay was purely technical.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo courtesy: NASA