After an unexpected nine-month stay in space, a pair of NASA astronauts finally returned to earth on Tuesday, concluding a mission that captured global attention and became a political flashpoint.

A SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship carrying Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams — alongside fellow American Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov — streaked through the atmosphere before deploying parachutes for a gentle splashdown off the Florida coast at 5:57 p.m. (5:57 a.m. Wednesday, Philippine time).

Ground teams erupted in cheers as the gumdrop-shaped spacecraft named Freedom, charred from withstanding scorching temperatures of 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (2,000 degrees Celsius) during reentry, bobbed steadily on the waves beneath a clear, sunny sky.

“What a ride, I see a capsule full of grins,” Hague said.

As fast boats raced to the capsule for initial safety checks, an unlikely escort arrived in the form of a playful pod of dolphins.

Soon after, a larger recovery vessel hoisted Freedom aboard. Teams opened the hatch, and one by one, the astronauts were helped out onto mobility aids, waving and flashing thumbs-up signs.

Next, they will be flown by helicopter to Houston, where they will meet their families in another day or two, and begin a physical rehabilitation program.

“PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT,” the White House posted on X, repeating a contentious claim that President Donald Trump’s administration had accelerated the recovery timeline.

Unbelievable resilience

The quartet left the International Space Station early Sunday, beginning their 17-hour journey home after final farewells and hugs from the remaining crew.

Wilmore and Williams, both ex-Navy pilots and veterans of two prior space missions, flew to the orbital lab in June last year on what was supposed to be a days-long round trip to test out Boeing’s Starliner on its first crewed flight.

However, propulsion issues rendered the spacecraft unfit for their return, forcing it to return empty.

They were subsequently reassigned to NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission, which arrived at the ISS last September with a reduced crew of two — rather than the usual four — to accommodate the pair, who had become widely referred to as the “stranded” astronauts.