After the splashdown, Sunita Williams emerged out of the Dragon, waving her hands and smiling, being helped out by the officials, feeling Earth’s gravity – in contrast to the microgravity of space.
Florida: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore successfully returned home after the eight-day mission to the International Space Station that turned into a nine-month-long stay. The crew flew on a Boeing Starliner to space on June 5 last year and returned in SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft this morning.
After the splashdown, Sunita Williams emerged out of the Dragon, waving her hands and smiling, being helped out by the officials, feeling Earth’s gravity – in contrast to the microgravity of space.
The Dragon spacecraft has successfully splashed down, marking the return of Sunita Williams along with Crew-9 members Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov after spending nearly nine months in space, SpaceX confirmed.
Following the landing, NASA astronaut Nick Hague delivered his first message to mission control. While the audio was somewhat unclear, Hague could be heard saying that the crew was “grinning ear to ear,” CNN reported.
While the audio was somewhat unclear, Hague could be heard saying that the crew was “grinning ear to ear,” CNN reported. “Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks!” SpaceX announced in a post on X.
These astronauts disembarked the capsule on stretchers, as is customary, CNN reported. This precaution is taken by SpaceX for all astronauts returning from long-duration space missions. Earlier, a worker rinsed the Crew Dragon spacecraft with fresh water to remove as much salt water as possible.
“Saltwater is corrosive, and we want to try and rinse out as much of the salt water as possible to reduce that corrosion on the metallic structures,” SpaceX’s Kate Tice said.
The side hatch of the Crew Dragon remains closed throughout its time in orbit. After docking with the ISS, astronauts enter and exit through a different hatch on top of the vehicle, CNN reported.
SpaceX’s recovery ship, Megan, used a large rig to lift the capsule carrying the four astronauts out of the water. Nearby crew members closely monitored the spacecraft to ensure there were no fuel leaks.
As the capsule splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, several dolphins were seen swimming around it, welcoming the astronauts home. At least five dolphins were captured on video circling the capsule as it bobbed in the water, CNN reported. Boats in the area assisted in stabilizing the capsule and ensuring the astronauts’ safety.
NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov have been in space since September 2024. However, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams had been away much longer–their journey began last June. Initially expected to last just a week, their mission was extended to more than nine months due to issues with their Boeing Starliner capsule, which delayed their return.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt earlier stated that US President Donald Trump had fulfilled his promise to bring home the “forgotten” astronauts.
(With inputs from agencies)
