Astronauts Stranded on ISS for Nine Months Begin Return to Earth

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, delayed by Boeing Starliner failures, are aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon for a scheduled water landing off Florida.

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were stranded on the ISS for over nine months due to propulsion and helium leak issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
The astronauts are currently en route to Earth aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon, which docked at the ISS on March 16, 2025, as part of the Crew-10 mission.
The return journey includes NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexandre Gorbounov, with a water landing off Florida scheduled for 10 PM GMT on March 18, 2025.
During their extended stay, Wilmore and Williams contributed to ISS maintenance and scientific research, while awaiting the arrival of a replacement crew.
NASA refuted political claims by Donald Trump and Elon Musk that the delay was intentional, citing safety, weather, and operational priorities.