After being stuck in space for nine months, two American astronauts are finally set to return home, thanks to a mission carried out by SpaceX. The Biden administration failed to act on the issue for months, leaving private industry to step in where the government would not.
On Sunday, SpaceX’s Crew-10 capsule successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS), delivering four new astronauts to take over for those who have been in orbit far longer than intended. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, along with Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, completed the mission, allowing the station’s long-overdue occupants to finally plan their departure.
🚨NASA ASTRONAUTS THANK ELON & TRUMP AHEAD OF SPACEX RESCUE
After 9 months stranded in space, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally set to return home aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.
Wilmore:
“All of us have the utmost respect for Mr Musk and obviously… https://t.co/cKeivzSXfU pic.twitter.com/QlcNpYJa2M
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 17, 2025
The relief effort comes after astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams were stranded aboard the ISS following a failed Boeing Starliner mission. The Starliner spacecraft was supposed to return them to Earth after a short stay last June, but technical failures forced it to return empty, leaving the two astronauts without a way home.
Despite the urgency of their situation, the Biden administration did not prioritize a solution. The return effort only moved forward after private industry — led by Elon Musk’s SpaceX — stepped in to do what the government failed to accomplish. President Donald Trump had set policies in motion that expanded commercial partnerships in space travel, a move that ultimately provided the necessary backup when Boeing’s vehicle failed.
The meeting of Crew 9 & Crew 10 was more than just a moment-it was a promise. A promise that no dream is too far, no frontier too distant & no journey without a way home. Thanks to @Elonmusk & @SpaceX, hope now travels beyond the stars & the impossible is just the beginning. 🚀✨ pic.twitter.com/woG9mnk8bf
— Grace (@4verBeyou) March 17, 2025
NASA has now scheduled the Crew-9 astronauts — Wilmore, Williams, Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov — to return to Earth on March 18. Their SpaceX Dragon capsule will undock from the ISS before re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down off Florida’s coast.
NASA will broadcast live coverage of the return, with mission control monitoring conditions to ensure a safe landing. Updates will be provided on NASA’s platforms leading up to the splashdown.
