Two U.S. astronauts who made a protracted stay aboard the International Space Station after their spacecraft malfunctioned returned to Earth Tuesday.
The capsule bringing astronauts Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth splashed down off the eastern coast of Florida Tuesday evening, ending a nine-month mission.
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Along with Wilmore and Williams, astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov completed their missions.
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What was supposed to be a one-week mission turned into a nine-month affair due to mechanical issues and NASA's decision to extend the mission. Boeing's Starliner capsule, the craft that was expected to return Wilmore and Williams to Earth, experienced problems with its thrusters and helium leaks as it approached the space station in June.
Due to these issues, NASA decided not to have Wilmore and Williams return on the Starliner. Instead, after a six-hour remotely controlled flight, the empty capsule landed in New Mexico on September 6.
The astronauts rode aboard a SpaceX capsule for their return on Tuesday, in a reentry trip that last more than 17 hours.
Recovery teams in fast boats arrived to greet the capsule on the water mere minutes after it splashed down. They tested the capsule for safety, including by scanning for the presence of dangerous gases caused by rocket propellants.
The capsule will then be moved aboard a recovery vessel, where the astronauts will debark.
During the extended stay on orbit, Williams and Wilmore participated in numerous experiments and spacewalks, including work with Astrobees, a type of free-flying robot.
Now that they've returned home, both astronauts will undergo weeks of rehabilitation to readapt to the influence of gravity and their surroundings.
