Two NASA astronauts have safely returned to Earth after being stuck in space for nine months. Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore left the International Space Station (ISS) early Tuesday morning and landed in the ocean off Florida’s coast after a 17-hour journey. Their return was delayed because Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was meant to bring them home, was declared unsafe, forcing them to extend their stay far beyond the original schedule.

Astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams, 59, and Barry "Butch" Wilmore, 62, both experienced NASA-trained space travellers were stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Williams, the ISS commander, is a retired U.S. Navy officer who joined NASA in 1998. She has spent 322 days in space and completed nine spacewalks throughout her career. She once held the record for the most spacewalks by a female astronaut, a title surpassed in 2017 by Peggy Whitson, who completed 10.

Wilmore’s first spaceflight was in 2009 aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Before taking part in the Boeing Starliner mission, he had already spent 178 days in space. During his previous missions to the International Space Station, he worked as both a flight engineer and a commander, contributing to research on plant growth in space, the impact of microgravity on the human body, and environmental changes on Earth. During the Boeing mission, Wilmore took on the role of commander while Williams served as the pilot.

Williams and Wilmore’s journey back to Earth began late Monday night, with preparations to close the hatch starting at 10:45 PM ET (02:45 GMT). The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying both astronauts detached from the International Space Station on Tuesday at 1:05 AM ET (05:05 GMT). By evening, just before 6 PM ET (22:00 GMT), the capsule safely landed in the Atlantic Ocean. NASA broadcasted the entire departure and return live.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule has been attached to the International Space Station (ISS) since September 2024. It initially transported NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian astronaut Aleksandr Gorbunov to the ISS, leaving two empty seats for Wilmore and Williams’s return journey. However, all four astronauts could not depart in the same capsule until a new crew arrived to take their place.

The replacement team, Crew-10, arrived at the ISS on Sunday at 12:04 a.m. ET (04:04 GMT). This diverse team of astronauts, including NASA's Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi, and Russia's Kirill Peskov, blasted off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Friday.

Williams and Wilmore could not return as planned due to technical problems with the spacecraft meant to bring them back to Earth.

They had travelled to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner for its first crewed test flight. This mission was part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which aims to develop private spacecraft for astronaut transport. By outsourcing missions to low-Earth orbit, NASA intends to focus on deep space exploration, including the Artemis program for lunar missions and future human expeditions to Mars.

During their 25-hour journey to the ISS, the Starliner experienced helium leaks and a malfunctioning thruster, which is essential for steering and reentry. Upon arrival on June 6, additional issues arose when four of the 28 thrusters failed, delaying the spacecraft’s docking with the station. Although engineers restored four out of five malfunctioning thrusters, NASA determined that the spacecraft was too unsafe for human travel and sent it back without passengers, leaving Williams and Wilmore stranded on the ISS.

In August 2024, NASA brought them back using a SpaceX vehicle. Crew Dragon-9, launched on September 29, 2024, has been docked at the ISS since then. However, getting them home earlier would have left only one U.S. astronaut aboard the station, potentially affecting research operations and emergency preparedness. With the arrival of their replacements on Crew-10, Williams and Wilmore could finally return to Earth.

Williams and Wilmore had been in space since June 5, 2024, spending over nine months in orbit before their return. Their mission was initially planned for only eight days after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in June. Typically, astronauts assigned to the ISS remain in space for around six months as part of the standard rotation.

Although their stay was unexpectedly extended, Williams and Wilmore remained healthy and completed a spacewalk together in January. Life aboard the ISS follows a well-organised schedule that balances exercise, work, and relaxation. Astronauts exercise regularly, including treadmill running and resistance training, to preserve bone and muscle strength. Over the year, various space agencies and private companies planned missions to deliver essential supplies such as food, water, and oxygen to the station.

During Christmas, the two astronauts celebrated with a special meal featuring smoked oysters, crab, duck foie gras, cranberry sauce, Atlantic lobster, and smoked salmon, as reported by The Times in London. Despite being in space, Williams and Wilmore stayed connected with their families through email and phone calls.

In a November interview with Lester Holt on NBC Nightly News, Williams shared that she and Wilmore were “feeling good, working out, eating right.” She reassured viewers that they were doing well, adding, “We have a lot of fun up here too. People who are worried about us, really, don’t worry about us… We’re a happy crew up here.”

Williams and Wilmore are not the first astronauts to experience an unexpectedly extended stay in space. In the past, astronauts have been forced to expand their missions due to technical issues or geopolitical events.

The longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut was completed by Frank Rubio, who spent 371 days aboard the International Space Station between 2022 and 2023. His mission was prolonged after the Soyuz spacecraft that transported him to orbit developed technical problems, requiring him to return to a different Soyuz capsule.

A similar situation occurred in 1991 when Soviet astronaut Sergei Krikalev was stranded on the Mir space station for 311 days due to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Political instability and funding shortages delayed his return, forcing him to stay in orbit much longer than planned. When he finally landed in March 1992, he found himself returning not to the Soviet Union but to the newly formed Russian Federation.