Stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams safely splash down in SpaceX capsule after 9 months on ISS

The US astronauts stranded on the International Space Station joyfully emerged from their rescue capsule following a dramatic but smooth return to Earth Tuesday — months after their days-long jaunt in orbit turned into a headline-grabbing space odyssey.

Butch Wilmore, 62, and 59-year-old Suni Williams splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Fla., aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule just before 6 p.m. EST Tuesday, concluding a nine-month stint in space that was supposed to last just eight days when it launched in June 2024.

“Butch, Suni, on behalf of SpaceX, welcome home,” a mission-control dispatcher radioed the crew moments after the capsule Dragon Freedom splashed down.

Less than an hour later, the duo — along with American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov — were extracted from the capsule onboard a recovery vessel, and each was filmed beaming, waving and pumping their fists as they were helped to their feet and whisked away on wheelchairs.

The SpaceX capsule returning to Earth with stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.NASA

The capsule splashing down.NASA

The astronauts were stuck in space for about nine months.NASA

Dolphins were nearby to help welcome the astronauts as the vessel splashed down.NASA

The stranded astronauts conducted around 150 experiments — about 900 hours worth — during their extra time in space, which will be instrumental in the future of human space travel, Joel Montalbano, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for space operations told reporters after the safe splashdown.

“The work we do on the International Space Station benefits the nation, benefits people on Earth and are the building blocks for going back to the moon and to Mars.”

The dramatic return started in space around 1 a.m. Tuesday morning, and about 17 hours later, the capsule came into view from Earth as it soared across the Gulf of America at a red-hot 400 miles per hour that set its heat shield aglow in the clear afternoon skies.

The view of the parachutes from the capsule.NASA

The capsule landed off the coast of coast of Tallahassee, Fla.NASA

Moments earlier, it had been traveling 17,500 miles per hour as it descended into the atmosphere.

Four parachutes then erupted from the capsule in perfect formation, gently lowering the scorched craft into the balmy gulf waters at just 16 miles per hour.

The crew was heard telling mission control they were all “grinning from ear to ear” in radio chatter picked up by CNN moments after the safe landing.

22 The astronauts and SpaceX crew on the way back down to Earth.NASA

22 Boats arriving to retrieve the crew.NASA

22 The duo were originally supposed to be at the ISS for ten days.NASA

22 The group will be sent to Johnson Space Center in Houston for evaluation.NASA

22 Dolphins seen at the scene of the splash down.NASA

22 The four members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov return to Earth in NASA’s SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft on March 18, 2025.NASA

An armada of recovery boats rushed to the bobbing capsule to make sure it was secured and safe — and a school of dolphins even showed up and swam alongside as it was pulled back to the main recovery vessel.

The capsule was lifted from the water onto the recovery ship’s deck about 30 minutes after splashdown.

The triumphant homecoming comes a baffling 278 days behind schedule — when Williams and Wilmore first arrived at the ISS in June 2024, they were scheduled to stay for just about 10 days.

22 Butch Wilmore, 62, and Suni Williams, 59, returned home Tuesday after spending more than nine months in space.AP

22 The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule departed the International Space Station with the astronauts early Tuesday morningvia REUTERS

But a malfunction on their Boeing-made return capsule stranded them in space, while numerous delays and political bickering left Wilmore and Williams in orbit for 286 days.

With much relief from the watching world — more than 2 million people were watching SpaceX’s live feed on X — the Dragon Freedom’s hatch was opened about 40 minutes after it touched down in the Gulf.

After being helped out of the capsule on wheelchairs — standard practice for astronauts returning to Earth’s gravity — the astronauts were taken to a medical facility on the ship for assessment.

22 The crew spent 17 hours descending from the International Space Station back to Earth on Tuesdayvia REUTERS

22 President Trump repeatedly blamed former President Joe Biden for leaving the astronauts marooned.NASA

They will soon be whisked away to Johnson Space Center in Houston — home of NASA’s human spaceflight program — where they’ll spend several days being evaluated by doctors and getting back on their feet after months in zero gravity.

Long stretches living in space can result in muscle atrophy and vision impairment upon returning to gravity, each of which and other problems they’ll be monitored for before being cleared to return to their families.

“They have to get better. It’s going to be a little bit tough for them — it’s not easy, you know, they’re up a long time,” President Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham Tuesday after their return.

“And when they do, they’ll come to the Oval Office.”

22 Crew member Aleksandr Gorbunov is seen being escorted out of the capsule.NASA

22 Crew member Nick Hague was stuck at the International Space Station for 171 days.NASA

22 Astronaut Suni Williams is seen being escorted out of the capsule.

22 Astronaut Butch Wilmore is seen being escorted out of the capsule.NASA

Their extended stay in orbit landed them sixth in the running for most continuous days spent in space, just behind the 289 days astronaut Peggy Whitson logged in 2017, according to Reuters.

The high record holder remains Frank Rubio, who spent 371 days on the space station when his return capsule sprung a leak and left him similarly stranded on the ISS in 2022.

Their predicament nevertheless grabbed headlines, especially after President Trump repeatedly blamed former President Joe Biden for leaving them marooned — while SpaceX founder Elon Musk claimed the ex-president even turned down a chance to rescue them months ago because he feared a disaster before the November election.

22 Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were stranded at the International Space Station for 286 days.NASA

22 Their extended stay in orbit was the 6th longest stay amongst continuous days spent in space.NASA

“They were left up there for political reasons, which is not good,” Musk said while seated alongside Trump in a Fox News interview last month, explaining that SpaceX docked a capsule with the ISS in September — but that NASA decided not to go through with a rescue in a decision that supposedly came directly from Biden.

Both stranded astronauts have largely tried to stay out of the political fray from their perch 250 miles in the sky, but during a March interview, Wilmore said he believed Musk’s take.

“I can only say that Mr. Musk, what he says, is absolutely factual … I believe him,” Wilmore said.

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Trump even issued a blunt message to the astronauts while speaking with reporters from the White House earlier this month

“The most incompetent president in our history has allowed that to happen to you, but this president won’t let it happen,” he said in a message to the astronauts while speaking from the White House earlier this month.

“They’ve been left up there — I hope they like each other, maybe they love each other, I don’t know,” he added.

“But they’ve been left up there. Think of it. And I see the woman with the wild hair, good, solid hair she’s got. There’s no kidding, there’s no games with her hair.”