After a nine-and-a-half-month stay in space, astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams, along with their crewmates Nick Hague and Alexander Gorbunov, were set to return to Earth in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. Combining the lengthy stays of the two Starliner astronauts, they logged a total of 286 days and 7 hours in space, ranking their flight as the sixth longest in NASA history. Despite the extensive exercise routines during their time in orbit, Wilmore and Williams are expected to undergo rehabilitation upon their return to adjust to Earth’s gravity.
The return journey involved a de-orbit thruster firing, descent through the Earth’s atmosphere, and final splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico near Tallahassee. A SpaceX recovery ship awaited their arrival to provide initial medical checks before flying them back to Houston and the Johnson Space Center.
The astronauts’ extended stay in space was due to problems with the Starliner spacecraft, prompting President Trump to claim that the Biden administration had abandoned them. Mr. Trump stated that an agreement with Elon Musk and SpaceX allowed for the astronauts’ return following delays in the original timeline. NASA managers are displeased with the politicization of the mission but acknowledge the completion of the extended journey.
Although not a record-breaking stay in space, the mission added to the astronauts’ experience, with Williams now ranking as the second most experienced U.S. astronaut. The successful return of the crew marks the end of a challenging but ultimately triumphant space odyssey.
