NASA Astronauts Return to Earth After 286-Day ISS Mission

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore complete an unplanned nine-month stay on the ISS due to Boeing Starliner propulsion failures, returning safely aboard SpaceX's Dragon Freedom.

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned on March 18, 2025, after a 286-day mission aboard the ISS, initially planned as an eight-day test of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft.
The mission extended due to Starliner's propulsion system failures, forcing NASA to use SpaceX's Crew Dragon for their safe return to Earth.
NASA emphasized that the astronauts were never stranded, citing contingency plans, while political narratives framed their return as a rescue effort.
Williams and Wilmore contributed to vital scientific research and ISS maintenance during their extended stay, traveling 195 million kilometers and completing 4,576 orbits around Earth.
Both astronauts are undergoing a 45-day reconditioning program at NASA's Johnson Space Center to recover from the physical effects of prolonged microgravity exposure.