After an extended nine-month mission, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally returning to Earth.
Originally scheduled for just eight days on the International Space Station (ISS), their stay was prolonged due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that brought them there.
NASA opted to bring them back aboard a SpaceX capsule, which had arrived in September, leading to a much longer-than-anticipated mission.
The astronauts, along with NASA’s Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, undocked from the ISS earlier today and are set to splash down off the Florida coast later in the day, barring any weather delays.
Despite the unexpected extension, Wilmore and Williams embraced their time in orbit, conducting experiments and spacewalks, with Williams setting a new record for the most hours spent outside the ISS by a female astronaut.
Wilmore stated that they were prepared for a longer mission if needed, while Williams reflected on the profound experience, saying she hoped to hold onto the inspiration she gained.