Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have finally returned to Earth after what was initially planned as an eight-day mission turned into a nine-month ordeal in space. They were accompanied by NASA’s Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, forming the NASA/SpaceX Crew-9 team.
Splashdown and a Unique Welcome
Their journey home was made possible by Elon Musk’s SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which safely brought the astronauts back. The capsule splashed down at 3:27 am off the Florida coast, where an unusual welcome awaited them—a pod of dolphins was seen swimming around the capsule as the recovery operation was underway.
The recovery vessel successfully retrieved the Dragon capsule, and for the first time since September, the side hatch was opened. The astronauts then stepped out and were transported to Houston, where they will undergo a 45-day rehabilitation program to readjust to Earth’s gravity.
WATCH THE VIRAL VIDEO:
And the astronauts were greeted by dolphins as they splashed down. #SunitaWilliams #ButchWilmore https://t.co/7wTAlcrQf5 pic.twitter.com/S0FTDUWuHy
— Vani Mehrotra (@vani_mehrotra) March 19, 2025
Crew-9’s Space Station Swap
The return of Williams and Wilmore marked a shift in the International Space Station (ISS) crew, as Crew-10 replaced Crew-9 aboard the orbital lab. Their extended stay resulted from complications with Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which suffered propulsion issues and was deemed unsafe for return. After months of uncertainty, NASA reassigned the astronauts to SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, with a Dragon spacecraft sent in September to bring them back.
The Long-Awaited Homecoming
After a series of delays, the relief team aboard a Dragon capsule finally docked at the ISS on Sunday, paving the way for Williams and Wilmore’s long-awaited return. Their journey is a testament to the resilience of space exploration and the importance of reliable spacecraft technology in future missions.
Their homecoming was not just a scientific achievement but also a moment of warm, unexpected joy as dolphins symbolically welcomed them back to Earth.
