In picture: NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore appears from Dragon after SpaceX Crew 9 Splashdown
The ordeal began last June when they launched what would have been a short-lived test flight on Boeing’s Starliner Capsule. However, technical issues forced NASA to abandon capsules, trapping Wilmore and Williams on the International Space Station (ISS). It took nearly ten months before taking them home in SpaceX capsules.
Waiting for a long time to ride a bike
Initially, NASA intends to send Starliner back to Earth with astronauts after a brief stay at the International Space Station. However, with multiple failures emerging, the agency had no choice but to return the capsules and find another way to take the astronauts home.
Then, when SpaceX Crew Dragon Capsules were lined up to return, more questions surfaced, bringing it further into February. Another subsequent delay extends their stay to March. After the rescuers arrived over the weekend, they finally left.
Their return capsules are operated by SpaceX, descended under a parachute and landed smoothly in the Gulf of Mexico. “Welcome home on behalf of SpaceX.” Mission Control broadcasts as they land.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague replied: “It’s so good.”
From guests to full-time staff
Wilmore and Williams were initially dispatched as short-term guests and soon became key members of the ISS staff. They conducted experiments, fixed equipment, and even performed spacewalks. Williams set the most time a female astronaut spent in spacewalks, reaching 62 hours on nine trips. She also served as ISS commander for several months. They orbited the Earth 4,576 times, and drove 121 million miles (195 million kilometers) by the time they finally landed.
The long-term mission has attracted global attention. The situation of astronauts is often discussed, some of whom call them “stuck” or “stagnant”. But Wilmore refuted the narrative like this and said, “From the first day, this is the narrative: staying, abandoned, stuck – I get it, we both got it. Help us change the narrative, let’s change it to: Despite the sound you’ve been hearing, we like it is what we like.”
Even the political world has noticed it. U.S. President Donald Trump publicly urges SpaceX founder Elon Musk to speed up their return, blaming the Biden administration for the delay. But NASA officials insist that the timeline is determined by security considerations rather than politics.
Despite speculation, the astronauts are still composed. They continue to work and support NASA’s decision.
Artificial cost of long-term tasks
Wilmore, 62, and Williams, 59, are both retired U.S. Navy captains. They used to deploy for a long time and they said they didn’t mind the extra time in space. But it’s hard for their families.
Wilmore missed his youngest daughter’s last year in high school, and Williams had to rely on the internet to keep in touch with her mother and relatives. “We don’t worry about her because she’s always in a good atmosphere,” said Falguni Pandya, who married Williams’ cousin. “She’s been healthy and we keep in touch with her until they leave. She’s definitely ready to go home.”
Tejal Shah, chairman of the U.S. Hindu Council, said 21 Hindu temples in the U.S. pray for their safety. The Wilmore Baptist Church in Houston also prayed for him.
During Spapashdown, the SpaceX recovery team quickly retrieved the capsules. The rig on board recovers the ship lifts it out of the water and places it in the “Dragon’s Lair.” The return crew, including Russian astronaut Alexander Gorbunov and NASA’s Nick Hague, had a medical examination immediately before being taken to Houston.
NASA commentator Sandra Jones described the landing site: “Adorning the breathtaking views of a calm, glass-like ocean.”
NASA will continue to monitor astronauts over the next few days as they readjust their gravity. The CREW-9 team is expected to conduct further evaluation of NASA’s Houston facility before reuniting with their families.
NASA initially chose Boeing and SpaceX as two competing options for flying to and from the International Space Station, ensuring redundancy in the U.S. space program. But Boeing’s Starliner’s problems have raised concerns about its long-term viability.
NASA plans to relocate in 2030 to shift its focus to private space stations while preparing for future missions to the moon and Mars. For Wilmore and Williams, their expansion mission was unexpected, but it cemented their place in space flight history.
