Nine months after what they thought would be an eight-day mission, two astronauts splashed down off the coast of Florida.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have made it back to Earth after enduring about nine months in space, far longer than originally planned for.
They splashed down off of Tallahassee, Florida, in a SpaceX Dragon capsule along with two other crew members.
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Problems with Boeing's Starliner capsule forced Williams and Wilmore to stay on the International Space Station far longer than what was supposed to be about 10 days.
Needless to say, their families and communities couldn't wait to welcome them with open arms.
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"We're so happy you're back!" her mother, Bonnie Pandya, told NBC10 Boston Tuesday. "We've been waiting and waiting, and now you're back with us. We love you, Suni, and we've missed you a lot."
Students and teachers at Sunita Williams Elementary School in her native Needham, Massachusetts — along with the entire community — were surely excited to welcome Williams home.
Scott McCourt went to school with Williams and was in the same Needham graduating class back in 1983. He now co-owns The Common Room, a Needham sports bar that hosted a watch party Tuesday night to mark his former classmate's return.
"We have been proud of Suni for a long time, and we have known about her here certainly, and now with this event she is known globally and it is really great to see," McCourt said. "Everyone knew she was going to be something, because she was that kind of person. You never would have known a world famous astronaut or anything like that, but yeah, she is a terrific person."
"It is unbelievable how the town is buzzing about having a real hometown hero," added Tom Griffin, who co-owns The Common Room with McCourt. "There is nothing I would want to do for that many days. Even my favorite thing in the world I wouldn't want to do, but being stuck in that little small space? That is incredible to me."
"This is going to be a great return, and when she does make it back to Needham, we are hoping she comes in for a bit to eat. Or a beer? She deserves at least a beer. It's on us."
Along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, Williams and Wilmore departed the space station early Tuesday at 1:05 a.m. ET. The group of four, known as Crew-9, splashed down in the smooth water off the coast of Florida right as planned, at 5:57 p.m. ET.
Williams reflected on their extended time in space earlier this month – with a mix of emotions to be headed back home.
“This very unique place gives you an amazing perspective, not only out the window, obviously, but also just on how to solve problems," Williams said. "I don't want to lose that, that spark of inspiration and in that perspective when I leave, so I'm going to have to bottle it somehow.”
Following the splashdown Tuesday evening, the four astronauts were being flown to Johnson Space Center in Houston.
