Two American astronauts, who have been confined to the International Space Station since last spring, have returned to Earth after a total of 286 days in space.
After a 19-hour journey in a SpaceX spacecraft, astronauts Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, as well as Butch Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams, gently splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida at approximately 5:58 PM ET today.
Dragon Freedom’s Crew-9 parachutes deployed at an altitude of 6,000 feet, and the control room erupted in applause as they splashed down into the water, ensuring a smooth return to Planet Earth.
On Sunday, a relief crew arrived at the International Space Station, allowing Butch and Suni to return home after a nine-month stay in space. NASA has even accelerated their return by one day in order to avoid unfavorable weather that is expected to occur later this week.
Wilmore and Williams, both test pilots, were intended to spend only eight days in space. In June of last year, they piloted the Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS). However, NASA decided to return the spacecraft to Earth fully empty due to thruster malfunctions and helium leaks, necessitating an unexpected staycation in space for Butch and Suni. Ever since, they have been confined to the International Space Station.
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To clarify, they were never truly “stranded”; however, they had arrived at the ISS anticipating an extended stay in the event that the mission deviated from its intended course, which it did. NASA was contemplating the possibility of the two returning on the Boeing Starliner; however, they were denied the opportunity to do so due to safety concerns.
Then, they had the opportunity to return in September; however, they chose to remain on the ISS. This was due to the fact that the SpaceX craft that was launched at the time removed two crew members from the flight in order to provide Buch and Suni with seats for the return journey. However, if they had departed, there would have been no replacements on the ISS. Consequently, they remained.
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