NASA astronauts return to earth after 9-month

KATHMANDU: Two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who set out with the goal of spending eight days in space, have returned to Earth after nearly nine months.

The astronauts, along with two others, landed off the coast of Florida after a 17-hour journey aboard a SpaceX capsule.

A video released shows the astronauts smiling and waving as they exited the capsule. NASA officials confirmed that all of them were in good health.

Butch and Sunita had initially arrived in space last June, but due to technical issues with their spacecraft, they were stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) for an extended period.

The long stay kept them busy with activities such as voting, enjoying Christmas dinner, and physical exercises in the weightless environment.

After nearly nine months, the astronauts finally returned to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule. So, what was life like for these astronauts, 400 kilometers above Earth, and how did they spend their time?

Of course, there were many serious tasks that kept them occupied. Sixty-six-year-old Sunita and sixty-year-old Butch helped with mission maintenance and participated in spacewalks.

In mid-January, Sunita ventured outside the ISS with colleague Nick Hague to perform maintenance on the spacecraft.

Later in the month, she and Butch worked together on various tasks, including repairing equipment that controlled station activities, adding light filters to the NICER X-ray telescope, and replacing a reflector on the International Docking Adapter.

Opportunities to Reflect on Earth

Butch and Sunita gradually adapted to their long stay in space. During a September press conference, they shared that they had been trained to “expect the unexpected.” The unique experience gave them ample opportunities to reflect on Earth.

They witnessed countless sunrises and sunsets from space.

The space station orbits Earth 16 times every 24 hours, meaning the astronauts see 16 sunrises and sunsets daily. On the ISS, this means seeing a sunrise or sunset approximately every 45 minutes. Sunita reflected that such an unusual view of Earth gave them time to ponder: “This is the only planet we have, and we need to take care of it.” She added, “The messages we receive from so many people on Earth make you feel like you are with everyone, back home.”

Voting from Space

Along with Butch and Sunita, fellow ISS astronauts Don Pettit and Nick Hague, who are also U.S. citizens, were able to vote in the previous year’s U.S. presidential election. “As citizens, it’s an important responsibility that we have,” Sunita said during a press interaction.

NASA made it easy for the astronauts to participate in the election. The Mission Control Center in Houston facilitated voting by sending encrypted ballots via email to the ISS. After the astronauts cast their votes, the ballots were transmitted via satellite to a ground terminal in New Mexico, from where they were sent electronically to the election district and counted.

Staying Fit in Zero Gravity

Butch’s day began at 4:30 a.m., while Sunita typically got up at 6:30 a.m. Both astronauts kept themselves fit by exercising for at least two hours each day to counteract the loss of bone density in space. “Your joints don’t hurt, which is really nice,” Butch said. They used three different pieces of equipment to help manage the effects of living in zero gravity.

The Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) was used for exercises such as squats, deadlifts, and rowing. Astronauts also used a treadmill with a harness to keep them grounded and a cycling ergometer for endurance training.

Christmas Celebration in Space

During Christmas last year, the astronauts aboard the ISS sent a message to their friends and families on Earth, wishing them a Merry Christmas.

They donned Santa hats and reindeer headbands while tossing a microphone around to communicate with each other. Candies floated around them as they shared the festive moment.

This was a special opportunity for the team to let their hair down—literally. For Sunita, this meant styling her hair in ways that would be impossible on Earth due to the effects of zero gravity. Their final duty on the ISS was to welcome and make the incoming astronauts feel at home.

On March 16, a new SpaceX capsule arrived at the ISS with a new crew member. For Butch and Sunita, this marked a significant moment in their mission, as they were finally preparing to return home.

The excitement of their departure was captured on video by Don Pettit, who filmed the capsule approaching and docking. As a tradition, Butch rang a bell to mark the occasion, and Sunita handed over the command to cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin.

Thus ended their remarkable journey, with the astronauts ready to return to Earth after an extraordinary nine-month stay in space.