FLORIDA — After undocking from International Space Station, NASA astronauts Cmdr. Barry "Butch" Wilmore and pilot Sunita "Suni" Williams and the rest Crew-9 are heading home for a splashdown off the Florida coast in the Gulf of America.

What was originally supposed to be an eight-day test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, turned into an extended stay after the spacecraft experienced several issues. 

Countdown to splashdown

Returning home

The four closed the hatch that connected the International Space Station to their ride, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule named Freedom, on Monday at 10:45 p.m. ET, stated NASA.

At 1:05 a.m. ET, Tuesday, Freedom undocked from the Harmony module on the space station.

After NASA astronauts Williams, Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov took off, seven people were left on the floating laboratory.

The Dragon is fully autonomous from the moment it undocks from Harmony to the splashdown, yet the crew can take control if needed.

But the ride down will be far more thrilling than a roller coaster ride. Using a series of parachute deployments, the Dragon will slow down from an orbital speed of about 17,500 mph (2,816 kph) to 350 mph (482 kph) to about 16 mph (25 kph) when it should softly land off the coast of Florida.

After spending a good amount of time at looking at the weather conditions at various splashdown zones off the coast of Florida, NASA shared its decision on Tuesday afternoon that the four will be coming down in the Gulf of America at around 5:57 p.m. ET. 

During the first launch attempt of the Crew-10 mission, NASA's Public Affairs Specialist Steven Siceloff explained to Spectrum News what goes into the undocking and splashdown process.

Those under the Dragon's path may be lucky enough to hear a sonic boom.

Learn all about sonic booms here.

"NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 members pose together for a portrait inside the vestibule between the International Space Station and the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft. Clockwise from left, are NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Suni Williams, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov," stated NASA. (NASA)

The Starliner Saga

Wilmore and Williams, Boeing Crew Flight Test astronauts, saw a series of issues and problems with the maiden flight of Starliner during the first launch attempt in May of last year with a faulty pressure regulation valve on a liquid oxygen tank on Boeing’s Atlas V rocket.

A second launch attempt was planned but the infamous helium leak was discovered on the Starliner capsule named Calypso later in May.

The leakage prevented two more launch attempts with NASA confirming to Spectrum News that it would allow Starliner to launch with the helium leak.

Starliner finally took off on Wednesday, June 5, but the following day as it docked with the ISS, NASA crews discovered more helium leaks on the craft and five of the reaction control system thrusters had failed.

After re-starting that system, four of the five came back online and the fifth thruster was left off for the rest of the mission.

There were numerous teleconferences with the press where NASA and Boeing officials provided updates about the mission. During one meeting, NASA confirmed with Spectrum News that they were considering bringing home Wilmore and Williams on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.

After being deemed unsafe to return the pair by NASA, an empty Starliner undocked from the International Space Station in September 2024, where it safely landed in New Mexico.

As their original eightish-day mission turned into a months-long odyssey, Williams was made commander of Expedition 72. An expedition means the current crew in the International Space Station.

Williams and Wilmore became members of the Crew-9, joining Hague and Gorbunov.

Both Hague and Gorbunov were launched from the Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in September 2024.

Siceloff did say that both Williams and Wilmore did not break any records while being in space for as long as they have but did share about their adjustments once they return.

Starliner timeline

Follow the Dragon

Watch the Splashdown