They're back! U.S. astronauts stranded for 9 months successfully splash down off the coast of Florida | WPN World People News

American astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who had been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS), have finally returned to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft. Their mission, originally planned for just eight days, turned into a space journey lasting more than nine months.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying Wilmore, Williams, American astronaut Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, endured scorching temperatures of 2,000 degrees Celsius while re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. Although the exterior of the spacecraft was charred, it successfully landed at 5:57 PM local time on the 18th (5:57 AM Taiwan time on the 19th).

After spending several months in space, the astronauts’ bodies may have been affected by the prolonged microgravity environment, potentially leading to muscle atrophy, vision impairment, and other health concerns. The four astronauts will be transported to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for medical evaluations and will remain under observation for a few days before reuniting with their families.

Wilmore and Williams initially arrived at the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June 2023. They were originally scheduled to stay for only eight days, but due to propulsion system issues with the Starliner during its flight, they were unable to return and had to remain aboard the ISS since last June.

During this mission, Wilmore and Williams spent 286 days in space, significantly exceeding the typical six-month ISS mission duration. With the completion of this journey, Williams has now accumulated a total of 608 days in space, making her the second longest-serving American astronaut in history. The record remains held by Peggy Whitson, who has spent 675 days in space.