On Tuesday evening, March 18, a SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying Wilmore and Williams, along with NASA's Nick Hague and Russia’s Aleksandr Gorbunov, splashed down off the coast of Florida after a 17-hour descent.


Within an hour of landing, the astronauts emerged from the capsule, smiling and waving at the cameras, before being transported on reclining stretchers for standard medical checks.


“The crew's doing great,” remarked Steve Stich, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, during a news conference.

Their mission, which was initially planned for just eight days, extended significantly due to various circumstances. “It is awesome to have Crew 9 home, just a beautiful landing,” stated Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator of NASA's Space Operations Mission Directorate. He also expressed gratitude to SpaceX for their partnership and acknowledged the astronauts’ resilience and adaptability.


Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut, shared her thoughts: “The big thing will be seeing friends and family, especially those they were hoping to spend Christmas with. All of those family celebrations and birthdays that they thought they’d miss can now be celebrated.”

Wilmore and Williams' journey began in June 2024 when they participated in the inaugural crewed test flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft. However, the capsule encountered significant technical issues during its journey to the International Space Station (ISS), leading to concerns about their safe return.

Although the Starliner returned safely empty in early September, Wilmore and Williams required a new transportation solution. NASA opted for the next scheduled flight—a SpaceX capsule that arrived at the ISS in late September, which had two available seats for their return.


The catch was that this capsule was on a planned six-month mission, resulting in the astronauts' extended stay.


Embracing their time in space, Wilmore and Williams conducted numerous experiments and performed spacewalks, with Williams setting a record for the most hours spent outside the ISS by a woman. During the Christmas season, the crew even donned Santa hats and reindeer antlers, sending festive cheer despite their plans to celebrate the holidays at home.


Now that they are back, the astronauts will be transported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for thorough medical evaluations.