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Two NASA astronauts who've been on the International Space Station since last summer after their weeklong assignment turned into a nine-month saga are  back on Earth.

A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore splashed down off the Gulf coast of Florida shortly before 6 p.m. EDT Tuesday. The spacecraft had 

 from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. EDT Monday morning.

The pair returned home alongside fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.

Last June, a Boeing spacecraft launched with Williams and Wilmore on board for what was anticipated to be an eight-day mission, but problems with the aerospace company's capsule meant that the pair were left on the ISS and ultimately incorporated into the space station's regular crew.

Tuesday's splashdown capped a lengthy space odyssey for Williams and Wilmore, whose troubled voyage became mired in politics and raised questions about Boeing's ability to carry out missions for NASA.

How the astronauts’ journey went from eight days to nine months

 aboard the new Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The flight was part of NASA's commercial crew program, which contracts with private companies to ferry astronauts and cargo to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX, the other company hired through the program, has been successfully flying missions for NASA for years.

The early summer launch was Starliner's first trip with a human crew on board. The capsule made it to the ISS, but not before encountering a number of issues, including multiple helium leaks and the malfunctioning of some of its thrusters.

NASA decided that, rather than risk flying Williams and Wilmore back on a questionable craft, they would return the beleaguered Starliner to Earth without a crew.

That meant leaving Williams and Wilmore behind on the ISS, where they would be incorporated into the space station's regular crew rotation until their replacements arrived months later, NASA announced.

That occurred early Sunday morning, when two NASA astronauts, a Japanese astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut who had docked on the ISS 

Trump says the pair were “abandoned.” NASA says it was planned

Williams' and Wilmore's expedition — which spanned two presidential administrations — has been caught up in politics.

 he asked his close political adviser and SpaceX founder Elon Musk to "go get" Williams and Wilmore, whom Trump said had been "virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration."

In fact, the astronauts' ride back to Earth had been 

. The SpaceX Dragon capsule that flew the pair home on Tuesday arrived at the space station in the fall with two empty seats for the duo's return trip.

NASA said it had decided to integrate Williams and Wilmore into the space station crew for technical and budgetary reasons, and during their time on the station the pair has been conducting experiments and spacewalks.

 to the Biden administration "months ago" for SpaceX to bring the astronauts home early, but that the administration "refused" and delayed the pair's return for "political reasons."

Two former NASA officials under the Biden administration, including former NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, said they were unaware of any such offer.

 on Monday, thanked NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro and space agency staff for coordinating Williams' and Wilmore's return and accused the Biden administration of being "incapable" of bringing the pair home.

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Joe Hernandez

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NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were on the International Space Station more than nine months, despite launching into space in June for what was expected to be an eight-day mission.

2 NASA astronauts return to Earth after an unexpectedly long mission in space

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