NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth on Tuesday after more than 280 days in space. Their water landing, which came after about a 17-hour voyage, is something of a storybook ending to the Starliner saga that has captivated the nation and recently become the subject of political posturing.

The pair of Boeing Starliner astronauts left behind on the International Space Station are finally on their way back to Earth after a planned eight-day trip turned into more than 9 1/2 months.