NASA Astronauts Return After Nine-Month ISS Stay

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months, are set to return to Earth aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on Tuesday evening. Their extended stay resulted from issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which was initially intended to bring them back after a short mission. Williams and Wilmore expressed their gratitude toward SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump for their support during this ordeal. Trump, who addressed the astronauts from the Oval Office, had urged a quicker rescue, criticizing the current administration's handling of the situation. The return mission will also include NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. NASA adjusted the return schedule to take advantage of favorable weather conditions, with splashdown now anticipated at approximately 5:57 PM ET.