HOUSTON — NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams have returned to Earth after what was initially planned as an eight-day mission turned into a 286-day stay in space due to problems with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.
The astronauts, who launched on June 5 aboard the Boeing Starliner for what was supposed to be its first crewed test flight, ended up spending more than nine months at the International Space Station after technical issues prevented their scheduled return.
According to NASA, the Starliner capsule experienced multiple problems with its propulsion system, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions. These issues prompted NASA to make the decision to keep Wilmore and Williams aboard the space station and bring the Starliner back to Earth via remote control.
“We’re here, we have a mission, just doing what we do everyday,” Williams said earlier this month about their extended stay. “I think the hardest part is the people on the ground not knowing exactly when we’re coming back.”
During their prolonged mission, the astronauts completed more than 4,500 orbits around Earth and traveled approximately 121 million miles through space.
The situation gained political attention when President Trump claimed the astronauts had been “abandoned in space” by the previous administration.
NASA eventually enlisted SpaceX, Elon Musk’s space company, to assist with the astronauts’ return. The pair finally made their journey back to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
Despite the extended duration of their mission, it fell short of the record for the longest space mission, which belongs to a Russian cosmonaut who spent 437 days in space in 1995.
Starliner timeline
June 5 – Crew-9 launches on Boeing Starliner
June 6 – Starliner docks with International Space Station while experiencing thruster issues
June 18: Starliner’s return date delayed
July 2: NASA extends mission, hoping to return astronauts that summer
Sept. 7: Starliner returns to Earth without crew
Dec. 17: NASA announces that Butch and Suni are staying up until March 2025
March 14: Crew-10 launches to relieve Crew-9
March 18: Crew-9 returns to Earth