Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have successfully landed on Earth after a prolonged nine-month spaceflight. Originally scheduled as a short seven-day stay on board Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, their mission went on for a longer period owing to several technical glitches. Their safe splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico was welcomed with broad applause, and US President Donald Trump has affirmed that they would visit the White House upon recovering.
Donald Trump Announces White House Visit for Astronauts
President Donald Trump promised journalists that Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore would be invited to the White House after they have recovered from their long stay in space. When questioned about their visit by a Fox News journalist, Trump replied, “Well, they have to get better. You know, when you are up there and you have no pull on your muscle, you have no gravity, you can lift a thousand pounds like this.”
HERO’S WELCOME: President Trump tells @IngrahamAngle astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Suni Williams will visit the White House once they regain their strength. pic.twitter.com/U6t2tRE1dQ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 19, 2025
He further added, “They have to get better. It will be a little bit tough for them. It’s not easy, you know. They were up for a long time and when they do, they will come to the Oval office.”
Mission Extended Due to Technical Issues
Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore’s spaceflight on the International Space Station (ISS) was extended because of propulsion issues and helium leaks in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Originally intended to be a week-long mission, their time on board was prolonged to more than nine months as NASA and Boeing sorted through the spacecraft problems.
Donald Trump Credits SpaceX and Musk for Safe Return
Earlier today, President Trump congratulated them on their return, crediting the rescue to Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The official X (previously Twitter) account of the White House posted, “Promise made, promise kept: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months. Today, they safely splashed down in the Gulf of America, thanks to @ElonMusk, @SpaceX, and @Nasa!”
Trump also posted a video of the splashdown, captioning it, “USA! More winning.”
The safe return ends a long but historic space flight, demonstrating perseverance and sophisticated spaceflight cooperation.
