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Astronauts Suni Wiliams & Butch Wilmore finally headed home

Jonathon Nolan
The Nightly
After an epic nine months in space, Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally on their way home.
After an epic nine months in space, Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are finally on their way home. Credit: NASA/AP

After an eight-day mission in June 2024 turned into a nine-month stint in space, two stranded astronauts are finally coming back to Earth.

Astronauts Suni Wiliams and Butch Wilmore are coming back down to Earth courtesy of a SpaceX capsule alongside fellow astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

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They departed the International Space Station at about 1.05pm on Tuesday and are expected to splash down off the coast of Florida about 6pm.

Wilmore, who is an elder at his Baptist church back home, said he can’t wait to get back to face-to-face ministering and smelling fresh-cut grass.

Despite his incredible circumstances, Wilmore remarkably kept in touch with members of his congregation and occasionally participated in services.

Williams can’t wait to have a long walk on the beach with her dogs and enjoy an ocean swim.

“Every astronaut that launches into space, we teach them don’t think about when you’re coming home,” NASA’s space operations mission chief and former astronaut Ken Bowersox said.

“Think about how well your mission’s going and if you’re lucky, you might get to stay longer.”

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