Tuesday night marked the return of two NASA astronauts stranded on the ISS since June 2024, more than nine months after their initial week-long mission was cut short by the breakdown of Boeing's groundbreaking Starliner capsule.

After a 17-hour descent, a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying four astronauts—among them Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore, test pilots for Starliner—splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Tallahassee, at 5:57 p.m. ET (9:57 p.m. GMT).

Crew-9's Joyful Return to Earth

As it reached Earth's atmosphere, the spacecraft slowed from 17,000 mph (27,359 km/h). It then emerged into a beautiful blue Florida sky and coasted on four parachutes before gently splashing down on what a NASA commentator described as a “calm, glasslike ocean.”

“And splashdown. Crew-9 back on Earth. Nick, Aleksandr, Butch, and Suni, on behalf of SpaceX, welcome home,” a voice from mission control stated, soon before a pod of frolicking dolphins appeared and swam around the bobbing vehicle.

“What a ride. I see a capsule full of grins, ear to ear,” Nicholas Hague, the third American onboard, responded.

Williams and Wilmore arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in June last year to evaluate Starliner's docking and operational capabilities. However, technical issues and safety concerns led to the capsule being sent back to Earth in September. They extended their stay by becoming crew members onboard the space station.

The Dragon capsule, Freedom, containing astronauts Williams, Wilmore, Hague, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, undocked from the orbiting outpost at 1.05 am ET on Monday. NASA's Anne McClain called out, “We'll miss you, but have a great journey home.” Hague said it was a privilege to return to the space station for humanity's benefit.

The astronauts, dressed in re-entry suits, boots, and helmets, were seen on NASA's live footage laughing, hugging, and posing with colleagues before being shut into a capsule for two hours of final pressure, communications, and seal tests.

A Public Clash in the Space Community

Hague, praised his flights to and from the space station, describing them as an “awesome job both uphill and downhill.” Before being lifted out on stretchers for medical evaluation, Hague, Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore were welcomed by the recovery crew, with Williams waving and Wilmore shaking hands.

Moreover, American astronaut Williams has returned home with 608 days in space, despite the Biden administration's claims of abandonment and Trump's portrayal of routine crew rotation flights as special rescue missions.

The astronauts, Williams and Wilmore, have expressed their dissatisfaction with Musk's claim that he offered to bring them home last year, but were rebuffed by Biden. They have no information on the offer or its outcome.

Musk has become embroiled in a public dispute with Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen, who accused him of lying and claims the return of Williams and Wilmore, along with their ISS Crew 9, was scheduled in September.

Additionally, Musk criticised Mogensen, sparking conflict with retired astronauts, ISS veterans, and Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. Musk called Kelly a traitor for visiting Ukraine and urging US support. Kelly also ditched his Tesla car to protest Musk's role in slashing federal budgets and staffing.

Ultimately, Boeing's Starliner capsule, developed for NASA's commercial crew program, faces an uncertain future due to thruster issues and helium leaks. Engineers are examining the spacecraft at White Sands, New Mexico, to determine its cause. Although Starliner is unlikely to fly again in 2025, Boeing remains confident in its product.

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