NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov have safely returned to Earth after spending nine months in space. Their journey ended with a smooth landing as SpaceX’s Dragon capsule splashed down off the coast of Florida.
An unexpected but delightful sight awaited them—dolphins swimming around the capsule as the recovery team worked to bring them back.
Their mission was originally supposed to last only eight days. However, due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, they had to stay much longer than planned. NASA eventually reassigned them to Crew-9, and in September, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft successfully brought them home.
Spending months in space takes a toll on the human body, so the astronauts will now undergo a 45-day rehabilitation program in Houston. This process helps them readjust to Earth’s gravity and regain their strength after an extended time in a weightless environment.
Meanwhile, Crew-10 has already taken over duties at the International Space Station (ISS), continuing important research and experiments.
Their safe return marks another successful mission for NASA and SpaceX, proving how space travel is constantly evolving. The unexpected visit from dolphins was a special reminder of how nature and technology can cross paths in the most surprising ways.
