Two NASA astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, arrived back on Earth Tuesday after spending the last nine months in space.
The pair, along with fellow astronauts Aleksandr Gorbunov and Nick Hague, splashed down just before 5 p.m. CT Tuesday evening. For Williams and Wilmore, it was the first time back on Earth since June 2024.
But why were they stuck in space in the first place?
Wilmore and Williams planned to be gone for about a week when they launched aboard Boeing’s new Starliner capsule last June, making its crew debut after years of delay.
The vehicle reportedly faced issues docking at the International Space Station, and NASA ruled it too dangerous to carry anyone back.
The Starliner returned to Earth empty, leaving Williams and Wilmore at the ISS.
In order to be able to return to Earth, the two had to wait for their replacements at the station. On Sunday, they welcomed them. NASA's Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov all arrived at the orbiting outpost, signaling that Williams and Wilmore could return home.
U.S. & World
In a statement, NASA said the timing of the group's return on Tuesday was based on “favorable conditions forecasted” for the evening, after it was originally scheduled for Wednesday evening.
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