The eagerly awaited return of NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station was completed successfully. Williams and Wilmore, along with astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, landed off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, just before 6 p.m. ET. The conditions were ideal, with the weather clear and the Atlantic Ocean described as “glass-like” on NASA’s live feed.
Following the splashdown of the Dragon capsule, part of SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, speed boats quickly approached the capsule. NASA officials boarded the Dragon to ensure the well-being of the four astronauts, as dolphins were observed swimming nearby at the 1:33 mark of NASA’s live feed. After a brief check, the capsule was lifted onto a larger vessel, the Megan, and rinsed to remove saltwater.
The hatch was opened promptly, and Commander Nick Hague was the first to be extracted from the Dragon, followed by Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore. Within an hour of landing, all astronauts were removed from the capsule and placed onto stretchers to help their bodies readjust to Earth’s gravity.
The return of SpaceX’s Crew-9 was particularly significant because Williams and Wilmore’s initial eight-day mission to the ISS extended to 286 days, or over nine months, due to propulsion issues with their Boeing Starliner ship upon their arrival last June.
NASA has scheduled a press conference at 7:30 p.m. ET to provide the media with further updates on Williams, Wilmore, Hague, and Gorbunov.
