Astronauts Wilmore, Williams Begin 17-Hour Return Trip from ISS

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams have begun their return journey to Earth after an extended nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Initially planned as an eight-day mission, their stay was prolonged due to technical issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft, which NASA deemed unsafe for flight. As part of a contingency plan, they are returning in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which undocked from the ISS early Tuesday morning. The astronauts are expected to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico later that day, where they will undergo routine post-mission medical evaluations. The mission's complications have attracted political attention, with notable figures attempting to place blame on former President Biden for the astronauts' prolonged stay. Their return marks the conclusion of a challenging mission that has garnered significant public interest.