After an extended stay of approximately nine months, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally returning to Earth. Their mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) was prolonged due to complications with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The return journey, utilizing a SpaceX Dragon capsule, marks the end of a protracted period in space, although not one the astronauts considered themselves 'abandoned'.

Wilmore and Williams departed the ISS on Tuesday, accompanied by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. NASA anticipates the crew's splashdown off the coast of Florida later in the day, contingent on favorable weather conditions. The entire trip is estimated to take around 19 hours. NASA is providing coverage of the event on NASA+, while SpaceX is livestreaming the return flight on its website and X account, offering real-time tracking of the Dragon capsule's trajectory.

The extended stay was a result of thruster issues and helium leaks discovered in Boeing's Starliner spacecraft shortly after Wilmore and Williams arrived at the ISS in June 2024. These technical difficulties prevented their scheduled return, leading to a series of delays. A relief crew from NASA’s Crew-10 mission, including NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, arrived at the ISS last week, paving the way for Wilmore and Williams' journey home.

The situation sparked political commentary, with Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump suggesting the Biden administration deliberately prolonged the astronauts' stay for political reasons. Trump claimed he spoke with acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro and even offered to have Musk retrieve the astronauts. He also baselessly accused the Biden administration of forgetting about the astronauts and intending to leave them in space.

However, Williams disputed the notion that she and Wilmore were stranded. In an interview, she stated that they were "part of something bigger" than themselves and emphasized their role within the International Space Station. Wilmore echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the challenges but firmly rejecting the terms 'stranded', 'stuck', or 'abandoned'. He noted that they were always part of the mission.

Despite the delays, NASA continued to work toward a safe return for the astronauts. SpaceX, which has now executed ten crewed missions to the ISS, provided the Dragon capsule for their journey back to Earth. While Wilmore and Williams could have returned earlier on a previous capsule, doing so would have left the ISS understaffed. Subsequent launch attempts for the Crew-10 mission faced setbacks due to hydraulic issues and unfavorable weather forecasts.

Looking ahead, NASA plans to continue utilizing SpaceX's spacecraft for future crewed missions, including Crew-11, scheduled for launch no earlier than July 2025.