NASA astronauts return to Earth after nine months in space

New Delhi: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov have safely returned to Earth after spending nearly nine months in space.

The crew landed in the sea aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule, which deployed parachutes before splashdown.

NASA’s control room closely monitored the landing, with scientists focused on the screen as the capsule touched the water.

The capsule will now undergo a 10-minute security check before being opened to allow its internal and external temperatures to equalize. Upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, the capsule became red-hot due to extreme heat, necessitating a waiting period before retrieval.

Williams and Wilmore originally launched to the International Space Station on June 5, 2024, aboard a Boeing spacecraft for what was intended to be a 10-day NASA mission.

However, a malfunction in the spacecraft delayed their return, extending their mission to nine months. She has now returned alongside Hague and Gorbunov.