NASA astronaut Nick Hague became the first out of the Dragon capsule, smiling as he was wheeled to a medical checkup on the recovery ship. Within moments, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov emerged, also smiling and waving to the crew.
Barry “Butch” Wilmore, the fourth and last astronaut on board, also stepped out of the spacecraft, completing the crew’s return to Earth following their prolonged sojourn on the International Space Station (ISS).
Sunita Williams, who had spent more than nine months in space, emerged from the capsule with a wide smile after the 17-hour trip back home. The astronauts are currently going through standard medical checkups before resuming the final stage of their return.
Their adventure is far from over once the medical checks are complete, they will take a helicopter to an airport and then fly on to Houston, where they will be greeted at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Welcome home, Commander @AstroHague 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/lqgcnXIbpy
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 18, 2025
