NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams safely returned to Earth on Tuesday (March 18, 2025), concluding an unplanned 286-day stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their SpaceX capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, just hours after departing the ISS.
During their extended mission, the astronauts completed 4,576 orbits around Earth, covering approximately 121 million miles (195 million kilometers). While astronauts have spent longer periods in space, few have faced such uncertainty regarding their return. Over time, Wilmore and Williams transitioned from temporary visitors to full-time ISS crew members, contributing to critical experiments, equipment repairs, and spacewalks. Williams, who became ISS commander three months into the mission, set a record for the most spacewalking hours by a female astronaut—62 hours over nine excursions.
Originally scheduled for a short mission, Wilmore and Williams’ stay was extended indefinitely due to persistent technical failures with Boeing’s new Starliner crew capsule. Launched aboard Starliner on June 5, 2024, they were left stranded when the spacecraft was deemed unfit for reentry. NASA eventually arranged their return via SpaceX, though additional delays prolonged their time in orbit.
Their prolonged stay even took on a political dimension in January when former President Donald Trump urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to expedite their return.
Wilmore, 62, and Williams, 59, expressed gratitude for the experience but acknowledged the personal sacrifices involved. Wilmore missed much of his younger daughter’s senior year of high school, while Williams relied on internet calls to stay in touch with family.
Their return was met with widespread prayers and well-wishes. Twenty-one Hindu temples held ceremonies for Williams, whose Indian and Slovenian heritage has inspired many, while Wilmore, a Baptist elder from Houston, received prayers from his church congregation.
Following splashdown, SpaceX confirmed their safe return in a post on X: “Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks!”