Astronauts return to Earth following unexpected 9-month stay in space

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. (KRDO) - NASA astronauts Sunita "Suni" Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore are on their way back to Earth after an unexpectedly long stay at the International Space Station (ISS). Astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov will also join them on their return.

You can watch live special report coverage from ABC below:

Williams and Wilmore left for the Crew-9 mission, arriving at the ISS on June 6, 2024. Their ship faced several issues including helium leaks and a thruster issue, according to ABC News.

While NASA and the two astronauts refuted claims that they were "stuck" in space-- the fact of the matter is-- what was supposed to be a mission of only a few days turned into a 9-month long endeavor at the ISS.

Williams and Wilmore have now been able to return home thanks to the arrival of a different crew. Crew-10 launched on March 14. Their arrival has allowed Williams and Wilmore to hand off duties and return in their Dragon spacecraft.

Crew-10 was piloted by Southern Colorado native Nichole Ayers.

READ MORE: Astronaut Nichole Ayers shares how Pikes Peak region upbringing got her a pilot seat to space

Ayers will remain at the ISS, where she'll conduct research aimed at preparing mankind for deep space exploration. They will research the effect of space travel on human psychology and physiology, as well as conduct experiments on flammability for future spacecraft designs.