Wed Mar 19 18:33:31 UTC 2025: ## Extended Space Stay Ends as Astronauts Williams and Wilmore Splash Down in Florida

**Cape Canaveral, FL** – Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth early Wednesday morning, concluding a mission that extended far beyond its initial schedule. The pair, along with American astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, splashed down off the coast of Florida at 3:27 AM IST aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Williams and Wilmore’s journey began last June, originally intended as a short test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. However, propulsion issues with the Starliner rendered it incapable of return, forcing the astronauts into an unplanned nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The Starliner eventually returned to Earth unmanned. The extended mission presented the astronauts with unique challenges, including the potential for bone density loss associated with prolonged exposure to microgravity. Their safe return marks the successful conclusion of a mission complicated by unforeseen circumstances.

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