Overview

• Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth on March 18, 2025, after a 286-day mission extended by technical failures in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
• Initially planned as an eight-day mission, the astronauts were stranded on the ISS due to propulsion and thruster issues, prompting NASA to return Starliner to Earth unmanned for safety reasons.
• SpaceX's Crew-9 mission facilitated their return, but the astronauts had to wait for the arrival of Crew-10 to maintain ISS operations before departing.
• The extended mission highlighted the physical challenges of prolonged space travel, with the astronauts now undergoing weeks of rehabilitation for muscle atrophy, bone density loss, and balance issues.
• The mission underscored the risks of space exploration, the importance of contingency planning, and the need for improved collaboration between private aerospace firms and government programs.