NAIROBI, Kenya — What was supposed to be a quick work trip turned into a space odyssey.
After an unexpected nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally en route to Earth.
The duo, who launched last June on Boeing’s Starliner for what was meant to be a one-week test flight, found themselves stuck in orbit due to a series of technical setbacks.
Now, after months of delays and a last-minute spacecraft swap, they’re heading home in a SpaceX Dragon capsule, alongside fellow astronauts Nick Hague and Alexander Gorbunov.
LIVE: #Crew9 and their @SpaceX Dragon spacecraft are departing the @Space_Station and starting their journey back to Earth. Undocking is scheduled for 1:05am ET (0505 UTC). x.com/i/broadcasts/1…
From One Capsule to Another
Wilmore and Williams’ journey didn’t go as planned. The Starliner, Boeing’s newest crew capsule, ran into propulsion issues on the way to the ISS, prompting NASA to send it back to Earth—without them.
With no immediate ride home, the astronauts were reassigned to NASA’s Crew-9 mission aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule. But even that didn’t go smoothly.
First, their return was pushed from February to March due to issues with the Dragon capsule.
Then, unpredictable weather threatened further delays.
Finally, with their relief crew’s arrival over the weekend, NASA opted to move up their departure to avoid worsening conditions.
Early Tuesday morning, the Dragon capsule undocked from the ISS, drifting 260 miles (418 kilometers) above the Pacific as Wilmore and Williams bid farewell.
“We’ll miss you, but have a great journey home,” NASA’s Anne McClain radioed as they pulled away. If all goes as planned, they’ll splash down off Florida’s coast.
.@NASA will provide live coverage of Crew-9’s return to Earth from the @Space_Station, beginning with @SpaceX Dragon hatch closure preparations at 10:45pm ET Monday, March 17.Splashdown is slated for approximately 5:57pm Tuesday, March 18: nasa.gov/news-release/n…
Making the Most of an Extended Stay
While their mission was initially brief, Wilmore and Williams quickly became full-fledged ISS crew members.
They conducted scientific experiments, repaired equipment, and even completed spacewalks together.
Williams, now the record holder for the most spacewalking hours by a female astronaut, also took command of the ISS three months into their extended stay.
Both seasoned space travelers, Wilmore and Williams adapted quickly to their prolonged deployment—an experience reminiscent of their military days.
However, the unexpected extension came at a cost. Wilmore, 62, missed most of his younger daughter’s senior year, while Williams, 59, had to settle for video calls to stay in touch with her mother.
Their long-awaited reunion will have to wait until they’re back in Houston after recovery operations.
Politics, SpaceX, and the Future of Space Travel
Their extended mission didn’t just make headlines in the space community—it became a political flashpoint.
In late January, President Donald Trump urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to speed up their return, blaming the delay on the Biden administration.
The replacement spacecraft wasn’t ready, so NASA and SpaceX swapped in a previously used Dragon capsule to expedite the process by a few weeks.
Through it all, Wilmore and Williams remained diplomatic, backing NASA’s decisions and staying focused on their mission.
Their unexpected journey highlights the growing role of commercial spaceflight.
NASA’s strategy to rely on both SpaceX and Boeing was meant to ensure redundancy, but with Boeing’s Starliner setbacks, SpaceX has been carrying the load.
With the ISS set for retirement in 2030, NASA is shifting its focus to the Moon and Mars, while private companies prepare to take over low-Earth orbit operations.
Wilmore and Williams may not have signed up for a nine-month test of patience, but their experience underscores the unpredictability of human spaceflight.
Now, after months of waiting, their journey is nearly over.
If all goes well, their capsule will splash down off Florida’s coast, where a recovery crew will retrieve them. After spending nearly a year floating in microgravity, solid ground—and family hugs—await.
