NASA astronauts [Sunita Williams](https://www.financialexpress.com/life/science-countdown-begins-for-sunita-williams-and-butch-wilmores-return-to-earth-nasa-confirms-date-shares-splashdown-time-3778993/) and Butch Wilmore have returned to Earth after spending an unexpected nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Initially scheduled for just an eight-day mission, their stay was extended due to technical issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft.
Upon their return aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule, Williams and Wilmore were carefully wheeled off the spacecraft on stretchers, a standard NASA protocol for returning astronauts due to the effects of prolonged weightlessness.
“A lot of them don’t want to be brought out on a stretcher,” former NASA senior scientist John DeWitt told _Live Science_, “but they’re told they have to be.”
During their extended mission, Williams shared insights into the physical challenges of space travel while speaking to students at Needham High School in Massachusetts, her alma mater.
“I’ve been up here long enough that I’ve been trying to remember what it’s like to walk,” Williams told students in January, per _CBS affiliate WBZ-TV_. “I haven’t walked, I haven’t sat down, I haven’t laid down. You don’t have to. You can just close your eyes and float where you are.”
Despite the unexpected extension, Williams remained in close contact with her loved ones. “I talk to my mom practically every day,” she shared during a Q&A session. “Just checking in with her and seeing how she’s doing. It’s just a little different relationship than we had planned, but we’re managing.”
The mission, which launched in June 2024, was prolonged due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner, prompting NASA to return the spacecraft to Earth without its crew. The astronauts’ return aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule marks the successful completion of a mission that tested endurance and adaptability in space.
As Williams and Wilmore reacclimate to [gravity](https://www.financialexpress.com/market/gravity-(india)-ltd-share-price/), NASA continues to investigate the Starliner’s technical challenges, ensuring the future safety of crewed missions.