Guwahati: NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams have finally returned to Earth after spending nearly 10 months in space.
Their journey, which was supposed to last only a week, turned into a long and unexpected mission due to several delays. The two astronauts became well-known around the world as people followed their extended stay in space.
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They left the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in a SpaceX capsule. The capsule safely landed in the Gulf of Mexico, near Tallahassee, Florida, in the evening. Within an hour of landing, both astronauts were seen smiling and waving as they stepped out of the capsule for routine health checks.
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Wilmore and Williams originally launched into space on June 5, 2024, aboard Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule. They were expected to return in just a few days, but technical issues forced NASA to send the Starliner back to Earth without them. As a result, the astronauts had to switch to a SpaceX capsule, but more delays followed, pushing their return to March 2025.
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In total, they spent 286 days in space 278 days longer than planned. During this time, they orbited the Earth 4,576 times and traveled 121 million miles (195 million km). Since a new crew arrived at the ISS on Sunday, NASA decided to send Wilmore and Williams home as soon as possible, especially with bad weather expected later in the week.
Even though their mission was much longer than expected, the astronauts made the most of their time in space. They helped with scientific experiments, repaired equipment, and even took part in spacewalks.
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Sunita Williams set a new record for female astronauts by spending 62 hours outside the space station during nine spacewalks. She also took charge of the ISS three months into their extended stay, leading the station until earlier this month.
Their return even became a political issue when former U.S. President Donald Trump asked SpaceX founder Elon Musk to bring them back sooner. Trump blamed the delay on the Biden administration. To speed up their return, SpaceX used a previously flown capsule instead of waiting for a brand-new one, which saved a few weeks.
However, Wilmore and Williams remained calm throughout the situation, saying they fully supported NASA’s decisions.
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Both astronauts, who are retired U.S. Navy captains, said they didn’t mind spending extra time in space. However, being away for so long was difficult for their families. Wilmore, 62, missed most of his younger daughter’s senior year of high school, while Williams, 59, could only talk to her husband and family through internet calls.
Her safe return was prayed for in 21 Hindu temples across the U.S., recognizing her Indian and Slovenian roots, while Wilmore’s church in Houston also held prayers for him.
Now that they are back on Earth, the astronauts will be flown to Houston for medical check-ups. They will take a few days to adjust to gravity before reuniting with their loved ones.
NASA had hired both SpaceX and Boeing to transport astronauts to and from the ISS until it is retired in 2030. After that, privately operated space stations will take over, while NASA focuses on missions to the Moon and Mars.
For Wilmore and Williams, this journey was far longer than expected, but it proved their strength, patience, and dedication to space exploration.