NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Barry Eugene “Butch” Wilmore were stranded in space for 286 days due to a technical issue with their return capsule. Originally scheduled for an eight-day mission, they spent nearly nine months away from their families.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX, in collaboration with President Trump, launched a Dragon capsule to bring them back. Upon landing, Williams shared her relief: “Laying down on a bed for the first time in nine months was pretty awesome.”

Williams and Wilmore spoke to Fox News about the emotional toll of being away from their families and expressed their gratitude for the support they received. Williams said it felt “weird” to return to Earth after such a long time.

In a clip shared by Charlie Kirk, Wilmore praised President Trump and Musk, stating, “You’ve earned my trust… I am grateful that our national leaders actually are coming in and taking part in our human spaceflight program, which is hugely important.”