(NewsNation) — NASA’s two stuck astronauts began their journey back to Earth with SpaceX on Tuesday after a dramatic marathon mission that began with a troubled Boeing test flight more than nine months ago.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, along with two other astronauts, left the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft early Tuesday morning. The return trip will take around 17 hours, with splashdown set for 5:57 p.m. ET off the Florida coast, weather permitting.
As the Dragon approaches its splashdown zone, a series of parachutes will open to slow the aircraft’s descent to 15 miles per hour, aiming for a gentle splashdown into the ocean.
A recovery vessel will welcome the astronauts back to Earth.
Medical teams will be available to assist the crew, as astronauts often experience muscle weakness in their first days back to Earth after extended periods in microgravity.
The astronauts will then board a NASA jet to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, where their families are eagerly awaiting their return.
NASA will address the public and media at 7:30 p.m. ET to provide updates on the mission.
Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams stuck on ISS since June
Wilmore and Williams had been expected to return just a week or so after launching Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule on June 5. However, many problems cropped up on the way to the space station, and NASA eventually sent the Starliner back empty and transferred the test pilots to SpaceX, pushing their homecoming to February. Then, SpaceX capsule issues added another month’s delay.
Sunday’s arrival of a relief crew meant Wilmore and Williams could finally leave the ISS. NASA dismissed the team a little early, given the iffy weather forecast later this week. They checked out with NASA’s Nick Hague and Russia’s Alexander Gorbunov, who arrived in their own SpaceX capsule last fall with two empty seats reserved for the Starliner duo.
“Just wanted to say thank you to everybody around the world on the control centers, friends and family who are out there, all our trainers, all of the folks who have got us ready to come here and fly in space,” Williams said. “We are absolutely thankful for that opportunity, and hopefully we did you proud.”
Williams said she’s looking forward to long walks with her dogs and an ocean swim. Wilmore said he’s ready to get back to his church and smell freshly cut grass.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
