Sunita Williams, 59, and Butch Wilmore, 62, originally embarked on an eight-day test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule. That mission quickly turned into a nine-month ordeal when a series of helium leaks and thruster failures rendered their spacecraft unsafe for the return journey. As a result, they had to remain on the ISS, becoming part of NASA’s Crew-9 rotation until a safe return plan could be arranged.

Now, after months of uncertainty, they are finally heading back to Earth. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying them, along with fellow astronauts Nicholas Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, is set to splash down off the Florida coast at 5:57 PM ET on Tuesday (3:27 AM IST on Wednesday).

“We’ll miss you, but have a great journey home,” NASA astronaut Anne McClain called out as the capsule undocked from the ISS, floating 418 km above the Pacific Ocean.But what comes next for the returning crew?

The First Moments After Landing

As soon as Williams and Wilmore splash down, they will be assisted out of the spacecraft and placed on stretchers. This isn’t a precaution—it’s a necessity. After months in microgravity, astronauts often struggle to stand, let alone walk. Balance issues, dizziness, and muscle weakness are common, making immediate medical evaluation a priority.

“A lot of them don’t want to be brought out on a stretcher, but they’re told they have to be,” explained John DeWitt, director of applied sports science at Rice University and a former senior scientist at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.The two astronauts will be taken to a nearby recovery ship, where doctors will assess their physical condition before flying them to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. There, they will spend several days undergoing further medical checks and re-adapting to Earth’s gravity.

The Challenges of Returning to Gravity

Astronauts returning from space face a host of physiological challenges. One of the biggest? Walking. Many struggle to even stand upright.”When an astronaut returns to Earth, they are immediately forced to readjust to gravity and can experience issues standing, stabilising their gaze, walking, and turning,” noted the Baylor College of Medicine.In microgravity, the body changes in unexpected ways:

• Muscles weaken – Without the need to support body weight, key muscle groups deteriorate, particularly in the legs and back.
• Bone density decreases – NASA estimates astronauts lose about 1-2% of their bone mass per month in space, making them more prone to fractures.
• Balance is disrupted – The vestibular system in the inner ear, responsible for spatial orientation, adapts to weightlessness. When astronauts return, it struggles to function properly, leading to dizziness and nausea.
• Fluids shift – Blood and other bodily fluids redistribute in microgravity, often causing astronauts to appear bloated. Once back on Earth, sudden shifts in blood pressure can lead to dizziness or fainting.

“Astronauts returning to Earth often experience dizziness when standing up, known as orthostatic hypotension,” explained Japan’s space agency, JAXA. “This occurs because gravity on Earth is stronger than in space, making it more difficult to deliver blood from the heart to the head.”It can take weeks—or even months—for astronauts to fully recover.

The Road to Recovery

Williams and Wilmore’s rehabilitation will be intense. Their physical training will include:

• Strength exercises – To rebuild lost muscle mass, astronauts perform resistance training focused on the legs and core.
• Bone recovery therapy – Specialised regimens help counteract bone loss and prevent fractures.
• Balance training – This helps the vestibular system re-adapt to Earth’s gravitational pull.
• Cardiovascular conditioning – Aerobic exercises like cycling or treadmill running are gradually reintroduced to strengthen the heart and circulatory system.

Family reunions will also play a crucial role in their return. Williams has spoken about how much she is looking forward to seeing her family—and her two dogs. “It’s been a roller coaster for them, probably a little bit more so than for us,” she admitted earlier this month.

The Political Storm Around Their Mission

While Williams and Wilmore’s extended stay on the ISS was caused by technical issues, their mission has become a point of political contention.Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of SpaceX, claimed—without evidence—that the Biden administration had “abandoned” the astronauts in space. Former U.S. President Donald Trump echoed this, portraying their eventual return as a rescue mission.Wilmore, speaking from the ISS, attempted to set the record straight: “We don’t feel abandoned, we don’t feel stuck, we don’t feel stranded… if you’ll help us change the rhetoric, let’s change it to ‘prepared and committed’—that’s what we prefer.”Meanwhile, Musk’s remarks sparked a feud with Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen, who accused him of spreading misinformation. Musk fired back with an offensive remark, drawing backlash from retired astronauts and even U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, himself a former NASA astronaut. The dispute escalated when Kelly, criticising Musk’s role in federal budget cuts, publicly ditched his Tesla in protest.

What’s Next for Boeing’s Starliner?

The failure of Boeing’s Starliner capsule has cast a shadow over the future of the company’s commercial spaceflight programme. Engineers are still investigating the causes of its thruster malfunctions and helium leaks.Aviation Week reported that Starliner is unlikely to fly again in 2025, though Boeing insists it remains committed to fixing the issues and securing new flight certifications. In contrast, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon—currently ferrying Williams and Wilmore home—has become NASA’s go-to spacecraft for astronaut transport.For now, Williams and Wilmore will focus on their recovery. Their return marks the end of an unexpected chapter in space travel—one that tested their resilience, endurance, and ability to adapt.As they prepare to set foot on solid ground again, one thing is certain: Earth will feel very different after nine months in the weightless vastness of space.