SpaceX capsule carrying NASA astronauts returns to Earth

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore safely splashed down off the coast of Florida on Tuesday after they spent more than nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Also on board were NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who returned to Earth alongside Williams and Wilmore after their prolonged stay in orbit.

NASA confirmed the successful splashdown, marking the end of a mission that lasted far beyond its original timeline.

The four astronauts began their long-awaited journey home early Tuesday, undocking from the ISS at 1.05 a.m. local time (0505GMT) aboard the Dragon capsule. Their return took approximately 17 hours before reaching the waters off Florida’s coast.