NASA releases final photos of Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from space as they start trip back home

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have officially begun their return journey to Earth after an extended nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Originally intended as an eight-day mission, their time in space was prolonged due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. As part of NASA’s contingency plan, the astronauts are now traveling back aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, marking the conclusion of a mission that has garnered significant attention.
The return journey is expected to take approximately 17 hours, with a scheduled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Their homecoming will include standard medical evaluations before they reintegrate into normal gravity conditions.

NASA’s live broadcast of the return process captured Williams and Wilmore taking final photographs aboard the ISS before closing the hatches and preparing for their descent. The Crew Dragon capsule undocked autonomously from the space station in the early hours of Tuesday, setting the stage for their controlled descent back to Earth.
The exact splashdown location in the Gulf of Mexico will depend on prevailing weather conditions. Following the landing, recovery teams will transport the astronauts to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where they will undergo routine medical assessments. These post-mission procedures are designed to evaluate the effects of prolonged spaceflight on their bodies, including muscle atrophy, fluid shifts, and potential vision changes due to microgravity exposure.

The return flight is being facilitated by SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, which was incorporated into NASA’s contingency plans after Boeing’s Starliner experienced propulsion issues. The Crew Dragon, which arrived at the ISS in September as part of NASA’s Crew-9 mission, had been prepared with extra seating to accommodate Williams and Wilmore.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, both Crew-9 members, will also be returning alongside Williams and Wilmore. The decision to advance the return schedule from Wednesday to Tuesday was made based on unfavorable weather conditions forecasted for later in the week, which could have complicated the splashdown and recovery operations.

Williams and Wilmore were originally assigned to test Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was supposed to be a significant step in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The test flight, launched in June 2024, marked the first crewed mission for the Starliner. However, problems with the capsule’s propulsion system led NASA to deem it unsafe for the return journey. As a result, Starliner was sent back to Earth uncrewed in September, while Williams and Wilmore were integrated into the Crew-9 rotation aboard the ISS.
This unexpected extension turned their short-term test mission into a full-fledged six-month ISS expedition, where they contributed to scientific research, maintenance operations, and spacewalks alongside international crew members. Their prolonged stay highlighted both the risks and adaptability required for modern spaceflight, underscoring the importance of contingency planning for long-duration missions.

The failure of the Starliner test flight dealt another setback to Boeing’s space division, which has struggled to bring the spacecraft to operational readiness. The company has been working under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program alongside SpaceX to provide alternative crew transport options. However, repeated delays, software issues, and technical failures have hindered Starliner’s progress, allowing SpaceX’s Crew Dragon to become the primary commercial vehicle for NASA astronaut missions.
While Boeing continues efforts to resolve the issues with Starliner, the setback has raised questions about the spacecraft’s reliability and its ability to compete with SpaceX, which has completed multiple successful missions to and from the ISS. NASA has maintained that ensuring crew safety remains the top priority, and alternative arrangements—such as the use of Crew Dragon—were necessary to facilitate the astronauts’ safe return.

During their extended stay, Williams and Wilmore actively participated in various scientific research projects aimed at understanding the effects of prolonged spaceflight. These included biological experiments studying muscle atrophy, fluid redistribution, and space-induced vision changes. The data collected from their experience is expected to contribute to future deep-space missions, including potential crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.
Additionally, the astronauts assisted with station maintenance, conducted spacewalks, and supported international partnerships aboard the ISS. Their time in orbit further emphasized the collaborative nature of space exploration, with agencies such as NASA, Roscosmos, ESA, JAXA, and others working together to sustain human presence in low Earth orbit.