NASA Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore Finally Return to Earth After 9 Months in Space

• The two astronauts who were stranded in space have finally returned to Earth after spending nine whole months
• The astronauts are NASA's Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore who went on an eight-day tour which later turned into nine months
• They packed down in Florida, USA, alongside two others including NASA's Nick Hague and Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov

The NASA astronauts who were stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) are finally back to Earth.

Sunita Williams and Butch Willmore had flown to the ISS in 2024 on an eight-day routine mission but it later dragged to nine months.

Their delayed return was because the spacecraft they used to travel to the ISS developed problems.

However, another spacecraft was sent for Williams and Willmore after nearly a year at the ISS.

On March 19, reports had it that they splashed down off the coast of Florida and they were helped into a stretcher to begin their rehabilitation after spending so much time in an environment that had no gravity.

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Also on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft were Nick Hague and Russia's Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov who earlier joined them at the ISS.

NASA says:

"NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, returned to Earth at 5:57 p.m. EDT. Teams aboard SpaceX recovery vessels retrieved the spacecraft and its crew. After returning to shore, the crew will fly to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and reunite with their families."

NASA acting administrator Janet Petro said the organisation was thrilled to have the astronauts back home after such a long time.

Her words:

“We are thrilled to have Suni, Butch, Nick, and Aleksandr home after their months-long mission conducting vital science, technology demonstrations, and maintenance aboard the International Space Station."

According to NASA's website, Suni Williams who was part of Crew 9, now holds the record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut.

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It says:

"Throughout its mission, Crew-9 contributed to a host of science and maintenance activities and technology demonstrations. Williams conducted two spacewalks, joined by Wilmore for one and Hague for another, removing a radio frequency group antenna assembly from the station’s truss, collecting samples from the station’s external surface for analysis, installing patches to cover damaged areas of light filters on an X-ray telescope, and more. Williams now holds the record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut, with 62 hours and 6 minutes outside of station, and is fourth on the all-time spacewalk duration list."

The astronauts will be rehabilitated and reunited with their families.

Commenting on the story, Zico Abara, a rocket science enthusiast and a graduate of mechanical engineering from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, said he was inspired by Elon Musk's SpaceX, which brought back the stranded astronauts.

He said:

"I am particularly inspired and impressed by Elon's SpaceX. For a company that was close to bankruptcy and test failures at the beginning, it just shows the power of sheer will and resilience. I will be taking notes on my own endeavors in aerospace technology for Nigeria."

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Reactions trail astranauts' arrival to earth

When the news hit X, below were some of the things people said:

@JinJooWon said:

"Finally returning, what a relief! I want to applaud the astronauts who spent 9 months on the ISS. Wishing them a safe arrival back on Earth!"

@sbukosky said:

"I hope their bodies reacclimatize quickly and they suffer no ill effects. FJB and his puppet string manipulators."

@txblue_bonnet wondered:

"So who is on the ISS now? And when will they come home?"

Technical issues Boeing's Starliner spacecraft had

Some of the issues that extended the astronauts' stay in space were helium leaks and thruster failures, Space.com reports.

Thrusters are important in controlling the spacecraft and executing its accurate movements. Without them, missions cannot be fulfilled.

On the other hand, Khou reports that helium gives pressure to the spacecraft's fuel tank. Its failure will greatly compromise the craft's abilities such as coming back to the earth.

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Following those faults, NASA decided that it was unsafe for the astronauts to return to Earth on the date earlier billed for them.

Scientists discover how water was created

In a related story reported by Legit.ng, a group of scientists discovered how water was formed in the universe millions of years after the Big Bang.

The scientists stated that water molecules began forming shortly after what they called the first supernova explosions.

According to the work published in the journal Nature Astronomy, the explosions created heavy elements, such as oxygen, required for water to exist.

Joseph Omotayo, the HOD of the Human Interest Desk, contributed to this article, adding some reactions from X and the technical failures the astronauts' spacecraft faced in space.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng