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Video: NASA astronauts splash down off Florida coast after nine months stuck in space

Two NASA astronauts have splashed down off the coast of Florida after spending more than nine months stuck in space.

Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams began their 17-hour journey back to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS) earlier.

The astronauts were only meant to be on the ISS for eight days when they blasted off from Earth on 5 June last year.

They were testing out Boeing's long-awaited Starliner, a ship designed to rival SpaceX's Crew Dragon that is currently used to ferry astronauts into space.

However, by the time they docked at the ISS, the Starliner had suffered major problems - with five helium leaks, five dead manoeuvring thrusters and a propellant valve that failed to close completely.

It returned to Earth without them, after it was decided Mr Wilmore, 62, and Ms Williams, 59, would be safer waiting in orbit.

NASA's Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Pic: NASA Johnson

Image: Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams pictured around a week after they first arrived in space. Pic: NASA Johnson

Since then, the two US Navy veterans have completed spacewalks, experiments and even helped sort out the plumbing onboard the ISS.

The astronauts repeatedly said they enjoyed the mission, with Ms Williams describing the space station as her "happy place".

The SpaceX vehicle that has brought them home arrived at the space station in September carrying NASA's Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, along with two empty seats.

Read more:

What else has gone wrong in space?

This is what happens to your health from being in space for so long

Crew welcomed to ISS to replace stranded astronauts

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