Sunita Williams returns to Earth, dolphins welcome her home. VIDEO

After almost nine months in space, Nasa astronaut Sunita 'Suni' Williams and Barry 'Butch' Willmore returned to Earth, where dolphins greeted their capsule in a viral moment during recovery

Nasa astronauts  Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Willmore have safely returned to Earth after spending an unexpected 288 days in space. Originally scheduled for just eight days, their mission extended far beyond plan due to technical glitches, which stranded them aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

 

The two astronauts, joined by Nasa’s Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, formed the Nasa/SpaceX Crew-9 team and completed their long-awaited journey home aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The capsule splashed down safely in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida’s at 3.27 am, marking a successful end to a tense and prolonged stay in space.

 

 

Meanwhile, a viral video of dolphins greeting the astronauts’ capsule during recovery operations captured hearts worldwide. The playful marine mammals were seen swimming near the capsule as recovery teams worked, creating a scene that quickly gained millions of views online.  ALSO READ | PM Modi welcomes 'trailblazer, icon' Sunita Williams on return to Earth

 

“This is extremely cool,” said US Vice President JD Vance, sharing one of the videos.

 

This is extremely cool https://t.co/SQYJpSUA2l

— JD Vance (@JDVance) March 18, 2025

 

Once the capsule was lifted out of the water by the recovery vessel, the side hatch was opened for the first time since September. The astronauts emerged after months in orbit and were flown to Houston, where they will undergo a 45-day rehabilitation program to readjust to Earth’s gravity.  ALSO READ | Isro welcomes Sunita Williams home: 'Your resilience continues to inspire'

 

The Crew-9 spacecraft had undocked at 10.35 am IST, with Nasa releasing footage of the Dragon capsule detaching from the ISS. SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, had been tasked with bringing Crew-9 back to Earth using its Dragon spacecraft, which launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The mission also marked the transition of responsibilities to Crew-10, who now occupy the ISS.

 

 

Williams and Wilmore, both decorated former US Navy pilots, were launched to the ISS on June 5 last year aboard Boeing’s Starliner — the first crewed flight for the spacecraft. However, their mission took a sudden turn when the Starliner capsule developed propulsion issues. Deemed unsafe for return, the capsule was sent back to Earth uncrewed in September, leaving the astronauts stranded in orbit.

 

In response, Nasa reassigned Williams and Wilmore to the SpaceX Crew-9 mission. In a rare adjustment, SpaceX sent only two astronauts aboard the Dragon spacecraft in September to leave room for the stranded pair on the return journey.

 

After several delays, SpaceX’s relief team finally arrived at the ISS, allowing the long-stuck astronauts to begin their journey home.