Starliner Astronauts Return to Earth After Unexpectedly Long Space Mission

After nearly a year in space—far longer than originally planned—NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally making their long-awaited journey back to Earth. The duo, who launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for what was supposed to be a short 10-day mission, ended up spending months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to technical malfunctions that forced NASA to reconsider their return strategy.

Now, Wilmore and Williams are set to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico alongside NASA’s Crew-9 astronauts, Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Their departure from the ISS took place early on March 18, with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, "Freedom," undocking at precisely 1:05 a.m. EDT while orbiting 420 kilometers above the Pacific Ocean, near Guam. The crew is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and make a controlled splashdown off the coast of Florida later the same day.

A Mission Extended Far Beyond Expectations

Wilmore and Williams' journey began in June last year when they embarked on the first-ever crewed test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The mission, designed to demonstrate Starliner’s ability to transport astronauts to and from the ISS, was expected to last only 10 days. However, shortly after docking at the ISS, multiple thruster malfunctions raised concerns about the spacecraft's reliability for a safe return.

NASA opted to keep the astronauts on board the ISS while engineers investigated the issues. Eventually, the agency decided to bring Starliner back to Earth uncrewed in early September, marking a significant setback for Boeing’s commercial crew program. With their original return vehicle no longer an option, Wilmore and Williams were instead absorbed into the ISS’s long-duration Expedition 72 mission—an unexpected extension that stretched their stay to over nine months.

A Homebound Journey Aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon

With Starliner out of commission, NASA turned to SpaceX’s proven Crew Dragon spacecraft to bring Wilmore and Williams home. To make room for them, SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, which launched in September, carried only two astronauts—Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov—rather than the usual four. This strategic decision left two open seats for Wilmore and Williams on the return trip.

Their delayed return attracted significant public and political attention. Former U.S. President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk publicly questioned the astronauts' prolonged stay, with Musk going as far as to claim that the Biden administration had "left them stranded" in space for political reasons. However, Wilmore firmly dismissed such assertions, stating in a recent interview that while the situation had its challenges, they were neither abandoned nor stuck.

Final Steps Before Reentry

Now that SpaceX’s Crew-10 has arrived at the ISS to take over operations, Crew-9 is finally heading home. Their journey will be closely monitored, with NASA’s live stream picking up coverage of the descent at 4:45 p.m. EDT. The capsule will perform a crucial deorbit burn at 5:11 p.m. EDT, slowing its velocity to begin reentry. Roughly 46 minutes later, Freedom will deploy parachutes and make a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.

NASA officials will confirm the precise landing location closer to the return time, with recovery teams on standby to retrieve the crew. The successful return of Wilmore and Williams will mark the end of one of the most extended and highly scrutinized astronaut missions in recent history.

What Comes Next?

The outcome of this mission carries major implications for the future of Boeing’s Starliner program. While SpaceX has successfully completed multiple crewed missions with Crew Dragon, Starliner’s setbacks have raised concerns about Boeing’s ability to compete in the commercial space sector. NASA will now assess whether Starliner can be safely certified for operational missions or if further modifications are needed.

For Wilmore and Williams, however, the priority is simply getting back to Earth after an unexpectedly long adventure in orbit. As their capsule makes its final descent, the world will be watching, eager to welcome home two astronauts who spent far longer in space than anyone had planned.