Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Return Home After 9 Months in Space
Post a startling journey that lasted more than 9 months in space, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore finally returned to Earth on Tuesday. It also marks the end of a mission that started with a troubled test flight in June 2023. The two returned aboard a SpaceX capsule, parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico early Wednesday morning, wrapping their lengthy stay at the International Space Station. The splashdown happened off the coast of Florida's Tallahassee in the Panhandle region.
Within an hour of landing, both exited the capsule, smiled, and waved at the cameras. Despite the extensive mission, their spirits were high as they were accompanied in reclining stretchers for standard post-flight medical check-ups.
Both astronauts reached the International Space Station on June 5, 2024. What was just an 8-day mission stretched into a 9-month stay because of unforeseen technical glitches. But despite that, Sunita was actively engaged in various important tasks aboard the orbiting lab, according to NASA.
Saheel Singh
08 Apr 2025