'Congratulations': Elon Musk's First Post As Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Return

Last Updated:March 19, 2025, 06:57 IST

Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned this morning, splashing down off the Florida coast in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.

SpaceX head Elon Musk

Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are back on Earth after an extended stay aboard the Space Station. Their initial eight-day mission, launched on June 5 of last year aboard a Boeing Starliner, unexpectedly stretched into a nine-month sojourn.

The astronauts returned this morning, splashing down off the Florida coast in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. They were joined on the 17-hour journey home by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

SpaceX chief Elon Musk reacted to the mission’s success in a post on X. He wrote, “Congratulations to the @SpaceX and @NASA teams for another safe astronaut return! Thank you to @POTUS for prioritizing this mission," wrote the head of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

News world 'Congratulations': Elon Musk's First Post As Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Return