Stranded astronauts experience fresh air for the first time in nine months as they return home

Two NASA astronauts stranded in orbit for nine months have tasted fresh air again after they left their shuttle back to Earth this morning.

A live-stream from NASA showed the SpaceX shuttle splashing down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, US, just before 9pm.

The SpaceX crew monitoring the splashdown erupted in cheers as the shuttle landed.

Both had lived on the orbiting lab before and knew the ropes, and brushed up on their station training before rocketing away.

Williams became the station’s commander three months into their stay and held the post until earlier this month.

Both retired Navy captains, Wilmore and Williams, emphasized that they were comfortable with the idea of spending additional time in space, drawing parallels to their military service and deployments.

But they acknowledged it was tough on their families.

Wilmore, 62, missed most of his younger daughter’s senior year of high school; his older daughter is in college.

Williams, 59, had to settle for internet calls from space to her mother.

They’ll have to wait until they’re off the SpaceX recovery ship and flown to Houston before the long-awaited reunion with their loved ones.