Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams only expected to be on the International Space Station for a few days
After nine months on board the International Space Station, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have touched down back on Earth.
On June 5, 2024, astronauts Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams bid farewell to their loved ones on Earth and embarked on what they thought would be a brief eight-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Little did they know, their stay in space would stretch far longer than anticipated.
The unexpected delay occurred when the Boeing spacecraft intended to bring them back was deemed unsafe, forcing the astronauts to watch helplessly as it departed without them. Reflecting on that moment during a September interview, Williams shared, “We were watching our spaceship fly away.” NASA attributed the delay to budget constraints, but thanks to Elon Musk’s SpaceX, their long-awaited return to Earth was finally within reach.
Today, Crew-9, including Wilmore and Williams, has safely returned to Earth, following a successful mission by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to bring them home. Their remarkable journey among the stars has come to an end, marking the triumphant conclusion to their extended adventure in space.
The SpaceX Dragon Crew made a spectacular splashdown off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, under a stunning blue sky, after a smooth 17-hour descent from space. The astronauts’ long-awaited return means they will soon be reunited with their loved ones, a moment Williams had been longing for. In September, she admitted missing her family and her two dogs, but also emphasized that the ISS remained her “happy place” — a testament to the fulfillment she found in her extraordinary work up there.
Williams shared that being in space gave her a unique perspective on life back on Earth. She reflected, saying, “It opens up the door to making you think a bit differently. It’s the one planet we have, and we should be taking care of it.” She also mentioned how the constant flow of messages from people on Earth made her feel deeply connected, even from space.
After a series of delays, including a hydraulic ground issue that pushed back their original March 16 return date, the astronauts’ long-awaited journey home was finally realized. Their return marks a significant moment in their mission, one filled with both relief and reflection on the time spent among the stars.
The four astronauts, poised to replace Wilmore and Williams aboard the ISS, were strapped into their capsule and ready for liftoff. However, with less than an hour to go before the planned blastoff, SpaceX made the decision to cancel the mission. As the crew focuses on recovering the capsule from the waters, the astronauts will now complete their final leg of the journey to Houston, the central hub of NASA’s spaceflight operations.
