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IN PHOTOS: NASA's stuck astronauts on their way back to Earth after 9 months in space

Updated On: 18 March, 2025 06:41 PM IST | Anisha Shrivastava

NASA's two stuck astronauts headed back to Earth with SpaceX on Tuesday to close out a dramatic marathon mission that began with a bungled Boeing test flight more than nine months ago. Pics/NASA, PTI, AFP,  Space X

Crew-9 members begin their journey back to Earth by boarding a SpaceX Dragon capsule. Pics/NASA

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Crew-9 members begin their journey back to Earth by boarding a SpaceX Dragon capsule. Pics/NASA
Sunita Williams, Crew-9 Mission Specialist is returning along with SpaceX crew. She has been on over 3 missions and a total of 9 spacewalks. Spacecrafts flown by Sunita are Shuttle, Soyuz, Starliner, and  Dragon. Sunita's hometown is Needham, Massachusetts

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Sunita Williams, Crew-9 Mission Specialist is returning along with SpaceX crew. She has been on over 3 missions and a total of 9 spacewalks. Spacecrafts flown by Sunita are Shuttle, Soyuz, Starliner, and  Dragon. Sunita's hometown is Needham, Massachusetts

Nick Hague, who is the Crew-9 commander, has been on 3 missions and 4 spacewalks. Spacecraft flown by him are Soyuz and Dragon. Nick belongs to Hoxie, Kansas

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Nick Hague, who is the Crew-9 commander, has been on 3 missions and 4 spacewalks. Spacecraft flown by him are Soyuz and Dragon. Nick belongs to Hoxie, Kansas

Aleksandr Gorbunov, the Crew-9 Mission Specialist, was selected as cosmonaut in 2018. Aleksandr is from Zhelznogorsk, Russia

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Aleksandr Gorbunov, the Crew-9 Mission Specialist, was selected as cosmonaut in 2018. Aleksandr is from Zhelznogorsk, Russia

Butch Wilmore, Crew-9 Mission Specialist has been on 3 missions and 5 spacewalks. Spacecrafts flown by Butch including Shuttle, Soyuz, Starliner, and  Dragon. His hometown is Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

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Butch Wilmore, Crew-9 Mission Specialist has been on 3 missions and 5 spacewalks. Spacecrafts flown by Butch including Shuttle, Soyuz, Starliner, and  Dragon. His hometown is Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams bid farewell to the International Space Station, departing aboard a SpaceX capsule. The capsule undocked in the wee hours and aimed for a splashdown off the Florida coast by early evening

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Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams bid farewell to the International Space Station, departing aboard a SpaceX capsule. The capsule undocked in the wee hours and aimed for a splashdown off the Florida coast by early evening

Astronauts stranded in space for more than nine months finally headed home after their capsule undocked from the International Space Station

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Astronauts stranded in space for more than nine months finally headed home after their capsule undocked from the International Space Station

NASA's Nick Hague and Russia's Alexander Gorbunov, who arrived in their own SpaceX capsule last fall with two empty seats reserved for the Starliner duo

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NASA's Nick Hague and Russia's Alexander Gorbunov, who arrived in their own SpaceX capsule last fall with two empty seats reserved for the Starliner duo

With 62 hours over nine spacewalks, Williams set a new record: the most time spent spacewalking over a career among female astronauts

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With 62 hours over nine spacewalks, Williams set a new record: the most time spent spacewalking over a career among female astronauts

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