Once-‘stranded’ astronauts are minutes away from splashdown. Catch up on the saga so far

After a week-long trip to the International Space Station ballooned into a nine-month stay, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally heading home. The capsule carrying them is scheduled to splash down off the Florida coast shortly before 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday. NASA’s live coverage of the return journey began at 4:45 p.m. ET, with the de-orbit burn expected to start at 5:11 p.m. and splashdown anticipated just over 40 minutes later.

Wilmore, 62, and Williams, 59, will be returning to Earth with fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. Hague and Gorbunov had arrived at the ISS in September, but their return trip was delayed until a replacement crew arrived to fill their roles. The new Crew-10 astronauts arrived last week for a six-month stay at the space station.

The astronauts’ extended stay on the ISS began last June when they were supposed to return home after a week-long test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule. However, malfunctions with the thrusters and a helium leak led NASA to bring the Starliner back to Earth without its crew. Since then, Wilmore and Williams have been fully incorporated into the ISS crew, engaging in spacewalks, research, and repairs.

The return journey for the astronauts got more complicated last summer when Starliner faced issues that prevented their safe return. This setback for Boeing, the spacecraft’s manufacturer, has delayed Wilmore and Williams’ return home for months. Despite the challenges, both astronauts have remained committed to their mission and eagerly await their return to Earth.

As the astronauts prepare to come back after nine months in space, they will face the physical challenges of readjusting to Earth’s gravity. Astronauts use workout equipment on the ISS to mitigate the effects of prolonged weightlessness, but the return to Earth still poses unique challenges. However, both Wilmore and Williams have previous spaceflight experience and are prepared for the transition.

The long-awaited return of Wilmore and Williams marks the end of a challenging chapter in their space careers. As they prepare to splash down off the Florida coast, their dedication to their mission and resilience in the face of adversity serve as a testament to the spirit of exploration that drives human spaceflight.