NASA astronauts: Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore are adjusting to life back on Earth, one step at a time.

After an extended nine-month stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), they returned on March 18, landing in Florida aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsule.

But instead of stepping out onto solid ground, they were carefully wheeled out on stretchers.

A standard NASA protocol for returning astronauts who need time to readjust to gravity.

“A lot of them don’t want to be brought out on a stretcher,” former NASA senior scientist John DeWitt explained to Live Science.

“But they’re told they have to be.”

During her time in space, Williams shared her experiences with students at her alma mater, Needham High School in Massachusetts.

In January, she described how the absence of gravity had altered her daily life.

“I’ve been up here long enough that I’m trying to remember what it’s like to walk,” she told them.

“I haven’t walked, sat down, or laid down. You don’t have to—you just float.”

A mission that stretched beyond expectations

Williams and Wilmore launched on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024, expecting to stay on the ISS for only eight days.

However, their mission was extended due to technical issues, including a propulsion-related leak and thruster malfunctions.

NASA ultimately decided to send the Starliner back to Earth without its crew, leaving the astronauts in space much longer than planned.

In August, NASA acknowledged the challenges of bringing them home, while their families remained hopeful.

Wilmore’s wife, Deanna, spoke about the unpredictability of space missions, saying, “You just have to roll with it and expect the unexpected.”

Meanwhile, Williams’ husband, Michael, believed she was content in space, calling it “her happy place.”

Despite the prolonged mission, Williams and Wilmore remained in good spirits.

They even celebrated Thanksgiving aboard the ISS, enjoying smoked turkey, cranberry sauce, and apple cobbler.

“People worry about us,” Williams reassured the public, “but really, don’t. We’re feeling good, working out, eating right, and having fun up here.”

In February 2025, former President Donald Trump claimed the astronauts had been “virtually abandoned” in space.

However, Williams and Wilmore dismissed the notion, stating they never felt stranded.

“We come prepared. We come committed,” Wilmore told CNN. “Of course, it was longer than expected, but we’ve made the most of it.”

Now back on Earth, the astronauts are reacclimating to gravity, supported by NASA’s recovery team.