The two U.S. astronauts who had been stuck aboard the International Space Station for more than nine months finally made it back home. Their mission, which was initially supposed to last just a few days, turned into a headline-making saga, but they were finally able to return to Earth.
Butch Wilmore, aged 62, and 59-year-old Suni Williams safely splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, at around 6 p.m. EST on Tuesday, completing a 17-hour journey back from the ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom capsule.
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Their long-awaited return was delayed by a whopping 278 days. When Wilmore and Williams initially arrived at the ISS in June 2024, their mission was intended to last about 10 days. However, a malfunction in their Boeing-built return capsule left them stranded, with numerous delays and political disputes extending their time in orbit for a total of 286 days.
Finally, after months of anticipation, their return vehicle successfully splashed down in the warm Gulf of Mexico waters, following a smooth descent through the clear skies over Central America as they made their way to Florida.
Recovery teams were quick to reach the astronauts, who were accompanied by fellow astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. They will be transported to Johnson Space Center in Houston, where NASA’s human spaceflight program is based. There, they’ll undergo medical evaluations and spend several days recovering from their months in zero gravity.
Long periods in space can cause muscle atrophy and vision issues, and doctors will closely monitor the astronauts for these and other potential health concerns before clearing them to reunite with their families.
Their extended stay in space placed them in sixth place for the most continuous days spent in space, just behind astronaut Peggy Whitson, who spent 289 days in 2017, according to Reuters. The record-holder is Frank Rubio, who spent a staggering 371 days on the ISS after his return capsule was damaged in 2022, leaving him similarly stranded.
Wilmore and Williams’ return journey began at 1 a.m. EST when their capsule undocked from the ISS. Despite media reports labeling them as “trapped” or “stranded,” they were never truly stuck. The ISS always has two capsules on hand to evacuate its occupants in case of an emergency, according to the BBC.
However, their situation attracted significant media attention, especially as President Trump repeatedly accused former President Biden of leaving them stranded. Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, also weighed in, suggesting that Biden had turned down an opportunity to rescue the astronauts months earlier due to concerns over potential disaster before the November election.
“They were left up there for political reasons, which is not good,” Musk stated in a Fox News interview last month, explaining that SpaceX had docked a capsule with the ISS in September, but NASA decided not to proceed with a rescue — a decision that Musk claimed was made by Biden.
Both Wilmore and Williams largely stayed out of the political debates during their time in orbit. However, during a March interview, Wilmore expressed support for Musk’s version of events.
“I can only say that Mr. Musk, what he says, is absolutely factual … I believe him,” Wilmore remarked.
Trump also made his feelings known in a direct message to the astronauts. During a White House press conference earlier this month, he criticized the handling of their situation, stating, “The most incompetent president in our history has allowed that to happen to you, but this president won’t let it happen.”
“They’ve been left up there — I hope they like each other, maybe they love each other, I don’t know,” Trump continued. “But they’ve been left up there. Think of it. And I see the woman with the wild hair, good, solid hair she’s got. There’s no kidding, there’s no games with her hair.”
{Matzav.com}

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