NASA astronauts depart ISS after prolonged stay

A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, along with cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov and astronaut Nick Hague, has begun its descent back to Earth after an extended nine-month stay aboard the ISS.

Originally set for a short test mission aboard Boeing's Starliner, Wilmore and Williams became unintended long-term residents of the orbital lab due to persistent technical issues that grounded their return spacecraft.

Now, as the capsule drifts away from the station, which they departed early on Tuesday morning, the journey home is a calculated fall through Earth's atmosphere, where every moment is dictated by precision engineering and controlled uncertainty.

Their mission, marked by months of waiting and adaptation, underscores the fragile balance between innovation and contingency in space exploration. For now, all that remains is to wish Wilmore and Williams a safe return home after their long, unexpected journey.