Veteran NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth on Tuesday, concluding a nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) that was significantly extended due to malfunctions with their original Boeing Starliner spacecraft.

The return marked the end of a mission fraught with technical challenges and unexpected delays, transforming a contingency plan into a global spectacle. The mission was originally expected to be eight days in duration.

Wilmore and Williams, along with two other astronauts, returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule after a 17-hour journey from the ISS. The crew successfully executed a splashdown off the Florida Gulf Coast. Mission commander Nick Hague reported a successful landing and a crew in good spirits.

The astronauts’ extended stay stemmed from propulsion system issues with the Starliner, which was intended for an eight-day test mission but experienced significant delays. NASA ultimately integrated Wilmore and Williams into its crew rotation schedule, sending them home on the SpaceX vehicle.

The mission attracted considerable political attention. President Donald Trump, upon taking office, called for a faster return for the astronauts, alleging, without providing evidence, that the previous administration had abandoned them for political reasons.

NASA responded by expediting the replacement mission, swapping a delayed SpaceX capsule for a readily available one and accelerating its safety review process. President Trump announced that Wilmore and Williams will visit the Oval Office following their recovery.

Following routine health checks at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, the astronauts will be reunited with their families. NASA officials expressed their relief at the safe return and highlighted the crew’s resilience throughout the extended mission.