Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore Return After 286-Day Space Mission

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have returned to Earth after an unexpectedly prolonged stay of 286 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), initially intended to last just eight days. Their extended mission was due to technical issues with their Boeing Starliner capsule, which forced them to remain in orbit far longer than planned. This duration places them sixth on the all-time list for the longest single spaceflight, following Frank Rubio, who holds the record at 371 days. Williams also set a new record for the longest cumulative spacewalk time for a female astronaut, totaling over 62 hours. Their return was facilitated by SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft after earlier delays caused by the Boeing capsule's unfit condition. Both astronauts will undergo a 45-day rehabilitation program to readjust to Earth's gravity after their extended time in microgravity.