Two NASA astronauts who spent nine months stranded in space have safely returned to Earth along with two other crew members aboard SpaceX\u2019s Dragon Freedom capsule. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The spacecraft successfully splashed down off the coast of Florida on Tuesday, completing the astronaut’s extended mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were originally scheduled for a short-duration test flight to the ISS aboard Boeing\u2019s Starliner spacecraft, arriving on June 6, 2024. However, due to technical issues\u2014including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions\u2014their return was repeatedly delayed, forcing them to remain on the ISS for over 280 days while engineers worked on a solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They returned alongside NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who launched separately aboard SpaceX\u2019s Dragon Freedom on September 29, 2024. While their mission lasted about 171 days, aligning with a typical ISS rotation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The return journey began when Dragon Freedom undocked from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. ET. After a 17-hour journey, the spacecraft performed a deorbit burn at 4:11 p.m., leading to a successful splashdown at 5:57 p.m. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Teams on the SpaceX recovery ship, including two fast boats, are securing Dragon and ensuring the spacecraft is safe for recovery, said NASA in a statement. The recovery ship will move into position to hoist Dragon onto the main deck with the crew members inside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once on the main deck, the crew will exit the spacecraft and undergo medical checks before a short helicopter ride to board a plane for NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Musk had previously been critical of Boeing\u2019s delays with Starliner, which was originally intended to compete with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon program for NASA\u2019s commercial crew contracts. SpaceX has since become the agency\u2019s primary partner for crewed ISS missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n