NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and her Crew-9 colleagues Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov took their first breath of Earthly air in over nine months on Wednesday after a successful splashdown of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida.
Following standard post-mission protocols, the astronauts disembarked the capsule on stretchers, a routine measure taken for all astronauts returning from prolonged spaceflights, CNN reported.
As part of recovery operations:
- A worker rinsed the spacecraft with fresh water to remove corrosive salt deposits.
- SpaceX’s Kate Tice explained, “Saltwater is corrosive, and we want to rinse out as much as possible to reduce damage to metallic structures.”
- The Crew Dragon hatch, which remains closed in space, was opened after splashdown for the astronauts to exit.
As the capsule splashed down, an unexpected sight added to the moment—a pod of dolphins was seen swimming around the bobbing spacecraft. At least five dolphins were captured on video encircling the capsule, as boats in the area worked to stabilize it and ensure the crew’s safety.
- Hague and Gorbunov had been in space since September 2024 as part of the ISS rotation.
- Williams and Wilmore had an even longer stay, launching in June 2024 for a test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule.
- Their mission, initially planned for just a week, was prolonged to over nine months due to technical delays with Starliner, leading to their eventual return aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.
The return of Williams and Wilmore also became a political talking point.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt credited former US President Donald Trump, stating:
“President Trump promised to look out for the forgotten man and woman. At 5:57 PM ET tonight—promise made, promise kept!” she posted on X.
With the astronauts safely back on Earth, NASA teams will now focus on helping them readjust to gravity, ensuring their health and well-being after their extended mission in space.