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Five Astronauts Begin Return to Earth Aboard SpaceX Dragon Capsule
Their launch in March drew significant attention because it finally allowed two U.S. astronauts—Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams—to return home after being unexpectedly stranded on the ISS for nine months. Wilmore and Williams had originally been scheduled for an eight-day mission in June 2024 as part of Boeing Starliner’s first crewed test flight. However, propulsion issues left the spacecraft unfit for return, forcing an extended stay.
An international crew of five astronauts started their journey back to Earth on Friday aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule after spending nearly five months aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The crew—U.S. astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov—are expected to spend over 17 hours in the capsule before splashing down off the coast of California at 1533 GMT on Saturday.
Their return marks the conclusion of the 10th crew rotation mission to the ISS under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, an initiative designed to replace the Space Shuttle era by collaborating with private companies like SpaceX.
The Dragon capsule, owned by billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX, undocked from the ISS at 2215 GMT on Friday. During its descent, the capsule will slow dramatically upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere before deploying large parachutes to ensure a gentle ocean landing.
Once the capsule splashes down, a SpaceX recovery ship will retrieve it and hoist it aboard. Only then will the astronauts—part of the Crew-10 mission—be able to breathe Earth’s air again for the first time in months.
During their stay on the ISS, the crew conducted numerous scientific experiments, including studies on plant growth and cellular responses to gravity.
Their launch in March drew significant attention because it finally allowed two U.S. astronauts—Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams—to return home after being unexpectedly stranded on the ISS for nine months. Wilmore and Williams had originally been scheduled for an eight-day mission in June 2024 as part of Boeing Starliner’s first crewed test flight. However, propulsion issues left the spacecraft unfit for return, forcing an extended stay.
NASA announced this week that Wilmore will retire after 25 years of service.
Last week, a new crew—U.S. astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov—arrived at the ISS for a six-month mission.
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