Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore return to Earth after nine months: Here's how it unfolded

After a prolonged wait of 9 months caused by necessary delays in their space mission in the International Space Station (ISS), U.S. astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, alongside Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, have triumphantly returned to Earth. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the crew splashed off the Tallahassee, Florida coast on Tuesday evening.

Details about the spalsh off

Originally scheduled for an eight-day mission aboard Boeing's Starliner, a technical malfunction extended their journey, ultimately leading to their return on Elon Musk's SpaceX Dragon.

While NASA livestreamed the entire mission, SpaceX shared an official confirmation posting a clip from said livestream of the drone shots showing the moment that SpaceX Dragon splashed down into the sea.

Elon took to X to reshare that moment and congratulate all associated teams who were involved in acommmplishing this feat. "Congratulations to the @SpaceX and @NASA teams for another safe astronaut return!" Elon wrote in his post. He also thanked POTUS Donald Trump for "prioritising the mission."

This mission marked the third ISS voyage for Indian-descent astronaut Sunita Williams, who, along with Butch Wilmore, spent a total of 287 days orbiting Earth. The ISS, a collaborative effort between the U.S., Russia, Japan, Canada, and Europe, cruises at an altitude of 254 miles (406.4 km) and a speed of 4.76 miles/s, having been launched in 1998.  

As per a popular media source, following their return, the astronauts were transported to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for comprehensive medical evaluations. Experts anticipate the crew may experience a range of physiological effects from their extended space travel, including potential height increases, muscle weakness, and vision changes, the source reports. Further as per the report, a 45-day recovery period is planned to allow their bodies to readjust to Earth's gravity.  

Sunita Williams, a seasoned astronaut with a distinguished career, brings a wealth of experience to the mission. Born in Ohio to Indian and Slovenian parents, she holds degrees from the U.S. Naval Academy and the Florida Institute of Technology. With over 3,000 flight hours in various aircraft, including helicopters, Williams was selected as an astronaut in 1998 and has since completed multiple long-duration ISS expeditions.