ISS Astronauts Return to Earth

Back in June 2024, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore blasted off to the International Space Station (or ISS, for short).

Suni Williams

Butch Wilmore

The plan was to stay just eight days, then head on home.

But NASA discovered a fault with their spacecraft, which meant it wasn’t safe to use for the return journey, and so their trip had to be extended.

Now, after nine months in space, they’ve finally arrived back on Earth.

During their time on board the ISS, Suni and Butch were kept busy.

They helped out with a range of science experiments: from growing plants, to testing free-flying helper robots, called Astrobees!

They even had to climb into their spacesuits and head outside to repair a damaged radio antenna.

It was the ninth spacewalk of Suni’s career, bringing her total spacewalk time to 62 hours and 6 minutes.

That’s the fourth highest of any astronaut ever!

Suni and Butch’s final job was to welcome a new group of crew members to the ISS.

Then, two days later, they were ready to go home.

On March 18, they splashed down off the coast of Florida, where they were greeted by a pod of curious dolphins!

After such a long time in a weightless environment, it takes a while for astronauts to get used to the Earth’s gravity again, so Suni and Butch were carried out of the capsule to make sure they didn’t fall.

Now, they’re back home with their families, with a whole lot to catch up on!

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