After an unexpected nine-month extension at the International Space Station (ISS), NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore safely returned to Earth aboard SpaceX's Dragon Freedom capsule. The spacecraft successfully splashed down off the Florida coast, near Tallahassee, at 5:57 pm ET on Tuesday (3:27 am IST, Wednesday).
Initially slated for an eight-day mission, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in June last year. However, their stay was unexpectedly extended due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner capsule, which was intended to return them to Earth. As the first crew to test-fly Boeing's Starliner, they were forced to remain on the ISS until a suitable replacement could be arranged. The faulty Starliner capsule eventually returned to Earth uncrewed in September.
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