Splash! NASA Astronauts Suni And Butch Back On Earth

India-West News Desk

TAMPA, FL – NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, along with two other astronauts, safely splashed down on March 18 in a SpaceX Dragon capsule, ending a prolonged mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The return, following a nine-month space stay, was the result of unexpected delays caused by issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which had initially been set to bring them home after a week-long mission.

The pair, veterans of multiple spaceflights, were launched in June 2024 aboard Starliner for what was planned as a brief test mission. However, propulsion issues with Starliner delayed their return and led NASA to integrate them into the Crew-9 mission, sending them home aboard a SpaceX spacecraft.

At 1:05 a.m. ET on March 18, the astronauts undocked from the ISS, beginning a 17-hour journey back to Earth. The spacecraft re-entered the atmosphere and used parachutes to slow its descent to a soft splashdown off Florida’s Gulf Coast at 5:57 p.m. ET. Upon returning to Earth, the astronauts were safely retrieved by SpaceX recovery teams.

Williams and Wilmore spent 286 days in space, significantly longer than their planned duration. During this time, they conducted over 150 scientific experiments and performed critical maintenance on the ISS. Williams, who has now logged 608 days in space across three missions, set the record for total spacewalk duration by a female astronaut with 62 hours and 6 minutes outside the station. This milestone places her fourth on the all-time spacewalk duration list.

This mission, which also included astronauts Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, was vital for research and technology demonstrations. The astronauts contributed to experiments on plant growth, stem cell technology, and circadian rhythm lighting, among others.

The return mission captured political attention in the U.S., with President Donald Trump having pushed for an earlier return of the astronauts. Trump’s administration expedited the return by coordinating with NASA and SpaceX, highlighting the political dynamics surrounding the mission. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk expressed gratitude for Trump’s involvement, praising the collaboration that ensured the astronauts’ safe return.

Following their safe return, the astronauts were flown to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for medical checkups before being reunited with their families. The mission’s successful completion underscores the ongoing importance of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and its goal of providing safe, reliable transportation for astronauts to and from the ISS.

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