Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally back on solid ground.
The NASA astronauts who months ago flew to space aboard Boeing’s failed Starliner spacecraft landed Tuesday night off the coast of Florida on a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The automobile was the identical one chosen for his or her return voyage months in the past when two astronauts of a SpaceX mission often known as Crew-9 reached the Worldwide House Station.
The Crew-9 crew, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, had been additionally on board the Dragon Freedom when it made a dramatic parachute-assisted splashdown following a lengthy 17-hour spaceflight.
For Wilmore and Williams, the water touchdown dropped at an finish an unexpected nine-month mission to orbit once they piloted the Boeing Starliner for its maiden crewed voyage. The automobile, which encountered technical points when it reached the orbital laboratory, returned in September to Earth with out them.
Loads of folks were tuned in to livestreams of the SpaceX Dragon when it neared Earth to arrange for touchdown. However for those who missed Wilmore and Williams’ return to Earth, listed here are photographs of the Dragon’s touchdown, adopted by the 4 spacefarers exiting the craft.
See photographs of SpaceX Dragon touchdown off Florida coast
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is seen because it lands with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard within the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida.
The Crew Dragon capsule containing Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams and two different astronauts descends by parachute earlier than their splashdown off the coast of Florida. The touchdown got here after a 17-hour voyage by the cosmos after undocking from the Worldwide House Station.
The Crew Dragon capsule containing Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams and two different astronauts floats after their splashdown following their return to earth from the Worldwide House Station off the coast of Florida on Wednesday in a nonetheless picture from video.
The Crew Dragon capsule containing Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams and two different astronauts floats after their splashdown following their return to earth from the Worldwide House Station off the coast of Florid on March 18, 2025 in a nonetheless picture from video.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft floats off the coast of Florida as assist groups work to get well the automobile. NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov returned on the capsule Tuesday night after departing the Worldwide House Station.
Assist groups work round a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft shortly after it landed with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
A SpaceX assist crew member is seen airborne whereas working to carry the SpaceX Dragon capsule onto a restoration automobile following its touchdown off the coast of Florida.
See photographs of Crew-9, Starliner astronauts unboarding
From left to proper, NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, astronaut Nick Hague and astronaut Suni Williams are seen inside a SpaceX Dragon after the spacecraft was hoisted onto a restoration ship after touchdown Tuesday night within the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida.
NASA astronaut Suni Williams is helped out of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft following a return to Earth after a nine-month keep on the Worldwide House Station. She and NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore crewed the failed Boeing Starliner in June.
NASA astronaut Nick Hague is helped out of the SpaceX Dragon Freedom capsule onboard the SpaceX restoration ship MEGAN after he, NASA astronauts Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov returned Tuesday from the Worldwide House Station.
Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov is helped out of a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending information for USA TODAY. Attain him at elagatta@gannett.com
This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: Starliner astronauts return to Earth: See photos of landing, unboarding
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