The stranded NASA astronauts were given immediate medical attention after returning to Earth on March 18.
After nine long months, the SpaceX Crew Dragon brought Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore and Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams home. They had deployed in June 2024 with the original plan of returning home after eight days.
However,the Boeing Starliner Calypso’s thrusters failed and they had a malfunction from helium leaks, meaning they could not return from the International Space Station.
There were multiple attempts to retrieve them over the nine month period that failed, causing them to be stuck in space for nearly 300 days.
On 14 March, progress was made to bring them home after the SpaceX Crew-10 replacement landed at the ISS and Wilmore, Williams and astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunobv, who previously joined them in September, could be brought safely home.
On 18 March, the four astronauts landed at 5.57pm EST just off the Gulf Coast near, Tallahassee, Florida.
NASA shared that the landing was ‘smooth’ and that there was a ‘capsule full of grins’.
NASA shared a live aerial view of the splash landing after parachutes were deployed, before the craft hit the waters.
The NASA recovery team could then be seen using specialist equipment to check over the spacecraft and rinsing saltwater off before recovering the astronauts.
They were then met with medics and taken out on stretchers – NASA’s normal procedure.
All four were seen smiling, waving and giving thumbs up.
Before landing, Hague had said: “Crew nine is going home. On behalf of crew nine, it was a privilege to call space home… to live and work… in cooperation for the benefit of humanity.
“To our colleagues and dear friends who remain on the station, we know the station is in great hands. We’re excited to see what you guys are going to accomplish and we’ll be waiting for you.”
A historic moment in human history.
