Astronauts Wilmore and Williams Return to Earth After Extended ISS Stay

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX capsule on March 18th, concluding a nine-month extended stay at the International Space Station (ISS). Their mission, initially intended to be short, was prolonged due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The astronauts, along with ISS crew members Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, departed the ISS at 01:05 ET (05:05 GMT) for a 17-hour journey. The capsule landed off the coast of Florida at 17:57 ET. Post-flight, Wilmore and Williams will undergo medical evaluations at NASA's Space Center in Houston. The mission's duration became a point of political attention after propulsion system issues on the Starliner led to multiple delays.