Hajra Naz
Both Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore have returned to Earth from their nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their journey lasted much longer than expected because of several leaks and thruster issues with Boeing’s Starliner spaceship, which sent them into space.
Both astronauts returned home to the Gulf of Mexico in a SpaceX Dragon spaceship Tuesday at 5:57 p.m. ET. This was following their 17-hour journey back from the ISS.
In the wake of the political tensions surrounding Boeing, this marks the end of their return from space and the start of a new chapter plied with hope.
A Mission Plagued by Delays
The ISS was supposed to be docked by Williams and Wilmore after they launched in June 2024. This was a sizeable part of Boeing’s mission plan to overcome the competition posed by SpaceX. NASA enlisted both companies in 2014 for transport missions to the ISS to expand further beyond the Earth’s orbit.
Boeing faced constant delays along with cost overruns because of their Starliner. Unlike SpaceX, which was able to execute a Crew Dragon VIP flight in 2020, Starliner was never able to turn the tides. Before even docking with the ISS, problems arose.
Following several tests, NASA and Boeing determined that returning the astronauts aboard Starliner was too dangerous. To ensure an adequate crew on the ISS, NASA worked with SpaceX to develop a different return strategy, ultimately planning their trip home for early 2025.
Political Controversy Surrounding Their Return
In recent months, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk claimed—without providing evidence—that he had offered to bring the astronauts home sooner. Still, former President Joe Biden allegedly declined to accept the offer due to political reasons.
However, NASA’s former leadership and White House officials have stated they were never made aware of such an offer. CNN also reported that senior White House officials denied knowledge of Musk’s claim.
Watch the Crew’s Safe Return
You can watch the full footage of Dragon and Crew-9 returning to Earth here:
🔗 Watch Dragon and Crew-9 return to Earth → https://t.co/ZZEmGU8Aar
🚀 Source: SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 18, 2025
