After an uncertain and extended stay of nine months in space, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have successfully returned to Earth. The duo landed safely aboard the SpaceX Dragon Crew-9 capsule at 3:40 AM IST, marking the completion of their prolonged space mission.
Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks! pic.twitter.com/M4RZ6UYsQ2
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 18, 2025
Safe Landing in the Gulf of Mexico
The SpaceX Dragon Crew-9 capsule, which also carried fellow astronauts Nick Hague and Alexander Gorbunov, made a successful landing in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Tallahassee, Florida. The recovery process was meticulously handled by the Navy SEALs’ safety team, who inspected the capsule before transferring it to a recovery ship.
At approximately 4:25 AM, the astronauts, including Sunita Williams, were extracted from the capsule and taken to a special medical facility for health checkups. Following this, they were transported via helicopter to NASA’s Houston center for further medical evaluations and debriefing.
A Mission That Lasted Beyond Expectations
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore had initially embarked on an eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in June last year. However, due to technical issues with their spacecraft, their mission was unexpectedly extended to nine months before they could return.
Their safe return marks a significant achievement for NASA and SpaceX, reinforcing the capabilities of commercial space travel and highlighting the challenges astronauts face in extended space missions.
