Astronauts to return to Earth after being stuck in space for 286 days

With a fresh crew now aboard the International Space Station, the four fliers they are replacing — including long-delayed Starliner astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams — packed up Monday for their return to Earth to finally close out an extended 286-day stay in space.

Wilmore and Williams, who launched last June aboard Boeing's problem-plagued Starliner capsule, will be joined for their trip home by Crew 9 commander Nick Hague and cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov, who launched to the station last September aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

For Wilmore and Williams, splashdown will close out a repeatedly extended mission totaling 286 days and 7 hours. They originally expected to spend just eight days or so in orbit.