[A photo of two NASA astronauts. Photo credit to Unsplash]

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore returned safely to Earth on March 18, 2025, after an unexpected nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). 

The pair launched on June 5, 2024, aboard a Boeing Starliner spacecraft, with plans to stay only 8 days. 

However, thruster malfunctions on their aircraft forced them to stay in orbit for a much longer time. 

Their mission concluded when they splashed down off the coast of Florida via Space X’s Dragon Freedom capsule, where they were promptly extracted. 

Initially, Williams and Wilmore were only meant to embark on a short test flight of the Starliner to evaluate its capabilities for future missions. 

After docking at the ISS, however, engineers on standby noticed that the thrusters were in no condition for launch and deemed it unsafe for them to re-enter Earth. 

NASA could not immediately find a way for them to return, so the astronauts were required to extend their mission until retrieval plans could be made. 

During this extended stay, the two ended up orbiting Earth 4576 times, traveling a total distance of 195 million kilometers in the ISS. 

In spite of their unexpected circumstances, Williams and Wilmore took advantage of their stay by participating in multiple scientific experiments, technology tests, and ISS maintenance tasks. 

They also assisted fellow astronauts in a research project that studied the effects of long-duration space flights on the human body. 

The Starliner’s inability to return the astronauts safely made many question the reliability of Boeing’s spacecraft technology. 

The situation has attracted both public and political attention, with President Donald Trump criticizing the handling of the situation by NASA during the previous administration.

Trump stated, “The most incompetent president in our history has allowed that to happen to you, but this president won't let that happen.” 

He then assured the astronauts that “We love you, and we're coming up to get you, and you shouldn't have been up there so long.” 

NASA, however, remained fixated on solving the problem with the Starliner, ensuring Boeing addresses the issue as soon as possible. 

Meanwhile, SpaceX and NASA coordinated a return mission involving the Dragon Freedom Capsule.  

The spacecraft had demonstrated a reliable history of successful re-entry missions and was thus deemed suitable to use for the duo’s return. 

Williams and Wilmore boarded the SpaceX capsule along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov and began their descent. 

The spacecraft landed in the Atlantic Ocean, where recovery teams immediately retrieved the crew for evaluation. 

Due to their long exposure to outer-space conditions, the two astronauts will be required to undergo health assessments and rehabilitation programs to regain muscle and adapt to gravity following a near year in microgravity. 

NASA has stated that they will continue to monitor and assist Boeing in finding out the reason for the Starliner’s malfunction to ensure safer space travel in the future.