Due to technical issues, the Starliner was sent back empty, and Wilmore and Williams were transferred to a SpaceX capsule for their eventual return. Their SpaceX capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tallahassee on Tuesday, closing a nine-month-long ordeal.

The pair orbited the Earth 4,576 times and travelled 121 million miles (195 million kilometres) during their extended mission. Williams set a record for the most time spent spacewalking by a female astronaut, logging 62 hours over nine spacewalks.

President Donald Trump urged Elon Musk to expedite their return in January, criticising the Biden administration for the delay. The replacement crew’s SpaceX capsule was not ready, so a used one was substituted to accelerate their return by a few weeks.

Williams became the station`s commander three months into their stay and held the position until earlier this month. Despite the delay and political attention, Wilmore and Williams remained composed, supporting NASA’s decisions publicly.

Williams’ Indian heritage was acknowledged with prayers at 21 Hindu temples in the U.S., while Wilmore’s church in Houston also prayed for his safe return. Both astronauts, retired Navy captains, said the prolonged stay was reminiscent of their military deployments but admitted it was hard on their families.

 

Wilmore, 62, missed most of his younger daughter`s senior year of high school, while Williams, 59, stayed connected with her family through internet calls from space. Williams’ safe return was celebrated by the Indian-American community, with prayers organised by the World Hindu Council of America.