WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Two NASA astronauts are finally back on Earth after their brief mission last summer unexpectedly became nine months in space.
It all started with a flawed Boeing test flight and ended with the astronauts’ returning on a SpaceX capsule.
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore splashed down off the Florida coast Tuesday evening.
“It is awesome to have Crew-9 home. Just a beautiful landing,” said Joel Montalbanom of NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate.
They returned to Earth after their eight-day mission unexpectedly turned into nine months at the International Space Station.
“Taking advantage of one vehicle to launch a crew and then bring back the crew in a different vehicle,” said Steve Stich of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Williams and Wilmore were on a test flight of the new Boeing Starliner but problems with its thrusters forced NASA to delay their return.
“It’s never easy. Spaceflight is always dynamic,” said Stich.
NASA chose to return the Starliner to Earth empty and bring Williams and Wilmore back on a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
“Overall, I would say it was a really clean undocking, re-entry and landing. The Dragon vehicle performed extremely well. Didn’t really have any issues to work,” said Stich.
NASA says Williams and Wilmore will reunite with their families in one or two days as they receive medical evaluations and readjust to gravity.
NASA says it’s on to the next mission with crew 11, expected to launch as early as mid-July.
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