A space odyssey with an unplanned delay in space by Starliner astronauts this night finally ended with a successful and soft landing of the Crew Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Florida around 6 p.m. local time. However, the first to meet the astronauts were dolphins, which appeared near the spacecraft during its ascent to the ship. An unexpected encounter with sea creatures even graced the rescued crew’s return to Earth.
“Wow, we’ve got a cute little pod of dolphins!” – SpaceX engineer Kate Tice commented excitedly as she watched the animals swim around the capsule. Cameras recorded how inquisitive dolphins accompanied the operation, as if greeting the crew after a difficult mission.
Among the astronauts were NASA veterans Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were only supposed to spend 8 days in orbit, but stayed there for a full nine months! The reason is technical malfunctions during the historic Boeing Starliner flight in June 2024. Although the vehicle docked with the ISS, engineers did not dare to risk the lives of the crew, and returned the spacecraft empty. Wilmore and Williams waited for the Crew-9 rescue mission, which arrived at the station in September 2024 with other crew members Nick Hague (NASA) and Alexander Gorbunov (Roscosmos).
Splashdown confirmed! #Crew9 is now back on Earth in their @SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. pic.twitter.com/G5tVyqFbAu
— NASA (@NASA) March 18, 2025
Despite the long stay in weightlessness, the astronauts returned in good shape. In photos released by NASA, Wilmore smiles while standing unassisted, while Williams energetically greets colleagues in Houston. Both experienced astronauts already had long missions under their belt, so they were able to adapt to the unexpected extension.
Interestingly, it was during the completion of the epic journey that the dolphins appeared. Perhaps they experienced the uniqueness of the moment – after all, space capsules don’t land every day! Did the astronauts see them through the windows? It will remain a mystery, but nature’s symbolic gesture was the perfect finale for a mission that proved: even in space, the most careful plans can suddenly change. The main thing is to find your “dolphins” in time to help you get home.
We previously reported on how Trump used “stranded” Starliner astronauts for political revenge.
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