Starliner astronauts return via SpaceX.

After an extended nine-month mission at the International Space Station (ISS), two American astronauts have safely returned to Earth, despite the earlier setback of their Boeing Starliner capsule departing without them. The Starliner, marred by technical issues, left NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stranded longer than anticipated. Their return was made possible through a SpaceX Dragon capsule, which brought them back alongside two other crew members, concluding their prolonged stay in orbit.

The successful splashdown occurred off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, at 5:57 p.m. ET, carrying Wilmore and Williams, as well as NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The SpaceX Dragon executed a water landing, a method preferred for its straightforward reentry process compared to land-based alternatives. This mission marked a significant moment of relief for NASA, showcasing the reliability of SpaceX’s capsule in stepping in where Boeing’s Starliner fell short.

Following their return, the crew was greeted with enthusiasm, with Hague noting the “capsule full of grins, ear to ear,” reflecting the shared joy of a safe landing. The astronauts are now headed to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for a few days of standard medical evaluations to ensure their health after months in microgravity. Once cleared, they’ll return to their home bases, closing the chapter on an unexpectedly extended mission that tested both their resilience and NASA’s contingency planning.