Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have safely returned to Earth after an unexpectedly prolonged mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Initially planned as an eight-day mission following their launch on June 5 last year aboard Boeing’s Starliner, their stay stretched to nine months due to technical issues.

The duo made their journey back aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, splashing down off the Florida coast this morning. They were accompanied by NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov on the 17-hour trip home.

Reacting to their return, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk praised the teams involved, posting on X, “Congratulations to the @SpaceX and @NASA teams for another safe astronaut return!” He also thanked the U.S. President, saying, “Thank you to @POTUS for prioritizing this mission.”

However, Musk also took aim at President Joe Biden, claiming that SpaceX had offered to bring the stranded astronauts back months earlier, but the Biden administration rejected the proposal for political reasons. “We made that offer to the Biden administration. It was rejected for political reasons, and that’s just a fact,” Musk stated.

Before their return, Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore shared a message of gratitude towards Musk and former U.S. President Donald Trump. In a video posted by Musk, Williams humorously remarked, “We are coming back before long, so don’t make those plans without me.”

The astronauts had been stranded in space since their launch on Boeing’s Starliner last June as part of a test mission. Originally expected to last only a week, their mission was prolonged due to multiple technical issues delaying their return.

Trump also weighed in on the situation, criticizing the Biden administration. “We love you, and we’re coming up to get you. You shouldn’t have been up there so long. The most incompetent president in our history allowed that to happen to you… I’ve authorized Elon Musk to go and get them, and he’s prepared to do so,” Trump said.