Due to delays in the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams spent more than nine months in space before making a safe return to Earth on March 18, 2025 (March 19 in India).

Due to delays in the Boeing Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams spent more than nine months in space before making a safe return to Earth on March 18, 2025 (March 19 in India). After a flight that attracted international interest, their SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship, Freedom, touched down in the Gulf of Mexico close to Tallahassee, Florida.

The Return of NASA Astronauts: A Comprehensive Summary
1. Mission Background
The goal of NASA’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) was to evaluate Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for routine astronaut transfer in the future.

From Cape Canaveral, Florida, the Starliner was launched on an Atlas V rocket operated by the United Launch Alliance (ULA).

A 10-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) was the initial goal of the mission.
Nevertheless, technical issues prolonged their mission to over nine months.

2. Starlinerter drains drain and delays
   The mission suffered from technical issues, which led to many delays.

June 6, 2024: Starliner faced a defective engine moored to the ISS. Four of the five failed engines were later restored, and a second attempt at docking was successful.
June 18, 2024: NASA has postponed Starliner’s return to investigate helium leaks and other technical issues.

July 2, 2024: NASA expanded its mission outside the original 45-day limit and further evaluated Starliner’s performance.

August 24, 2024: NASA announces that Starliner will return to Earth without astronauts due to safety issues.

3. Choosing to Use the SpaceX Crew Dragon to Return
NASA chose to use Crew-9’s SpaceX Dragon capsule to return Wilmore and Williams because Starliner was judged dangerous for astronaut transport:

NASA modified Crew-9’s manifest on August 30, 2024, to set aside two seats for Wilmore and Williams.
On September 22, 2024, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko left the ISS, and Sunita Williams assumed command.

4. Expanded stay and classes in space
   During their long stay, Williams and Wilmore continued scientific experiments and gaps:

November 12, 2024. Williams confirmed that she fits physically, despite her long stay in microgravity.
January 30, 2025: Williams conducted a 5.5-hour spacewalk with Wilmore, setting a record for the most cumulative EVA time by a female astronaut.
February 11, 2025: NASA accelerated Crew-10’s launch using a flight-proven SpaceX Dragon capsule, Endurance, to facilitate Crew-9’s return. 5. Final Return
March 14, 2025: Crew-10 came from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and was able to drive to Crew 9. March 18, 2025 (March 19 in India):

1. Crew-9’s Dragon capsule, Freedom, undocked from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. EDT.
2. 5:57 p.m. (2157 GMT): The capsule safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico.
3. Astronauts emerged smiling and waving before heading for routine medical checks.

What Happens After Landing?

Once astronauts land back on Earth, they undergo a series of post-mission recovery steps:

Medical Evaluations:

• NASA doctors assess their physical health after prolonged weightlessness.
• Muscle and bone density checks are conducted.

Rehabilitation:

• Astronauts participate in a reconditioning program to regain muscle strength and balance.

Debriefing:

• NASA conducts interviews to gather insights on Starliner’s performance and mission experiences.

Public Appearances:

• The astronauts share their experiences in media interactions.

Summary of the News in Tabular Form

With Nick Hague (NASA) and Aleksandr Gorbunov (Roscosmos) aboard SpaceX Falcon 9, Crew-9 launched on September 28, 2024, guaranteeing Wilmore and Williams’ return seats.