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Dolphins greet astronauts after SpaceX Dragon capsule splashdown

Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth after nine months on board the International Space Station

26 March 2025

Support teams work around a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft shortly after it landed with NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov aboard in the water off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Hague, Gorbunov, Williams, and Wilmore are returning from a long-duration science expedition aboard the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber) — NASA/Keegan Barber

When this SpaceX Dragon capsule splashed down off the coast of Florida on 18 March, the crew on board were greeted by a pod of dolphins. Inside, among others, were NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who were returning to Earth after being “stuck” on the International Space Station for nine months.

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