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NASA astronaut Sunita Williams' first look after returning home

Splashdown: Sunita Williams and Barry Butch Wilmore are back

Finally, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Butch Wilmore have come back to Earth. After their splashdown off the coast of Florida on March 18, 2025, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Butch Wilmore, along with Crew-9 members Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, were taken for post-flight medical evaluations. Their return marked the end of an unexpectedly prolonged nine-month stay on the International Space Station (ISS), originally planned as a short-duration test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. However, due to propulsion issues, their mission was extended significantly, requiring additional supplies and adjustments on the ISS.

Following the splashdown, the astronauts were assisted out of the SpaceX Dragon capsule and taken to a recovery ship for initial health checks before being transported to a NASA facility for debriefings and further medical assessments. NASA scheduled a media conference on March 18 to discuss the mission’s challenges and outcomes​. Their return coincided with the arrival of the Crew-10 team, which replaced them on the ISS. Crew-10, consisting of NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA’s Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos’ Kirill Peskov, arrived at the station on March 16.

Details about their mission:

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore embarked on a mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024, for what was supposed to be a short 10-day stay on the International Space Station (ISS). However, technical malfunctions—including helium leaks and thruster failures—prevented their safe return, leading to an unexpected nine-month stay in space.

Key Events During Their Extended Mission:

1. Scientific Contributions:

Despite the challenges, they conducted over 900 hours of research, covering more than 150 experiments. Notable ones include:

  • Packed Bed Reactor Experiment (PBRE): Studying fluid dynamics in microgravity to improve water recovery and fuel cell technology.
  • BioNutrients Investigation: Using microbes to produce essential nutrients for long-duration missions.
  • Space Gardening: Successfully growing romaine lettuce in space as part of a NASA project on sustainable food production

2. Challenges & Psychological Impact:

The prolonged mission tested their resilience, with uncertainty about their return being a major source of stress. Williams described the separation from family and the uncertainty surrounding their return as particularly difficult. Both astronauts had to maintain their mental well-being while continuing their scientific work.

3. Return Delays & SpaceX Crew-9 Mission:

NASA and SpaceX had to scrap the idea of using Starliner for their return due to its safety concerns. Their return was postponed multiple times due to technical issues with the Falcon 9 rocket and bad weather. Eventually, SpaceX Crew-9 was scheduled to bring them back, with their splashdown occurring around March 19-20, 2025.

This unexpected extension of their mission has been hailed as a testament to human perseverance and space exploration’s unpredictability. Their return marks the end of one of the longest unintended spaceflights in history, offering valuable lessons for future long-duration missions