Watch Live: Starliner Astronauts Make Historic Return to Earth After 286 Days in Space!

Two long-awaited Starliner astronauts, Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita Williams, returned to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, concluding a 286-day journey in space. The capsule splashed down off Florida’s Gulf Coast at 5:57 p.m. EDT after an automated re-entry maneuver, marking a historic moment for NASA.

Originally intended to last eight days, their mission’s extension was due to complications with the Boeing Starliner. They orbited Earth 4,576 times, amassing over 121 million miles. After welcome home messages from their fellow astronauts, Wilmore and Williams are now set for an extensive rehabilitation to adjust back to gravity.

Their prolonged stay brought significant media attention amid political claims of being “abandoned” in space, but NASA maintained the mission was operational necessity. This journey represents a milestone in human space exploration, with lessons learned for future endeavors.