Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams and Barry ‘Butch’ Wilmore finally returned to Earth this week after spending over nine months in space. Originally, they were only supposed to be on the International Space Station (ISS) for about a week, but “after technical issues struck their Boeing craft, they found themselves stranded there for an extra 278 days.”
Their return came after SpaceX’s Crew-10 arrived on 17 March for a handover. The two astronauts were “filmed hurtling down to Earth and landing safely in the sea.” Now back home, they are adjusting to life on Earth again—enjoying simple things like gravity, fresh food, and “the feeling of the sun on their skin.”

However, there are challenges. They need to re-adapt to Earth’s gravity and face health risks like reduced bone density and vision problems. Despite this, they’ve begun NASA’s rehabilitation program and should soon return to normal life.

One of the hardest parts was being away from family. As Suni’s family shared, “they spoke to Suni every week, but it just wasn’t the same as having her at home.” After nine months without hugs or simple human contact, their reunion is an emotional one.