Thanks for joining us on this morning's blog. 

As the Crew-9 astronauts make their way to Houston for medical check, we'll wrap up our live coverage. 

Stay on the ABC News site for the latest updates. 

Some really nice quality pictures of the Crew-9 astronauts are coming through now. 

“On behalf of SpaceX, welcome home,” radioed SpaceX Mission Control in California once the capsule has splashed down.

“What a ride,” replied Nick Hague, the capsule’s commander.

"I see a capsule full of grins ear to ear.”

Once safely on board the recovery ship, the side hatch was opened and the astronauts were helped out, one by one. 

Suni Williams was next-to-last out, followed by Butch Wilmore who gave two gloved thumbs-up.

NASA says crews will usually get to reunite with their families within a day or two once they're cleared medically. 

They will get some time off before debriefing with NASA and SpaceX about the mission. 

"They'll get some well deserved time off," Steve Stitch says. 

Steve Stitch was asked about the astronauts' extended time in space and the planning around when to bring them home. 

"We tried to look for opportunities to bring the crew back when it was safe to do so and we always had a lifeboat to bring them back home," he said.

"All the way back to Starliner, we said if there were an emergency we considered the thrusters big enough to bring them back.

"We always had a safe way to bring them home if we needed to, and then it was all about, when is the right time to bring them back? 

"Then, when we had a swap over, we figured this March timeframe was the time to execute the direct handover we just did."

"The thing I think back on this whole time timeframe is how really resilient Butch and Suni were this whole time, I mean they launched on what was going to be a short  test flight," Stitch said. 

 "Then they moved very quickly into station increment operations and they became seamlessly part of the International Space Station and they did that because they're experienced astronauts and we had prepared."

He also thanked their families. 

"Butch and Suni, they enjoyed their time on station and they got to do spacewalks and science, but their families, kudos to them for being resilient."

"I'm sure their reunion is going to be wonderful."

NASA astronauts Suni Williams, left, and Butch Wilmore standing together back in June 2024. 

This photo was taken en-route to the launch pad at Space Launch Complex. 

NASA's Steve Stitch has been asked what medical reserach will be undertaken now crew members have returned. 

"Every single crew member that we fly in orbit we collect medical research data and do various blood draws at various times during the flight," he says. 

"We do bone density measurements while they're in space, we look at their vision and how their vision might change over time, their intercranial pressure."

He said the data was needed to learn more about the impact being in space has on the human body. 

We're hearing some interesting stats from the crew's time on board the International Space Station. 

Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore conducted one space walk during their time and Suni Williams conducted two, giving her the record for most time spent on spacewalks by a woman. 

The crew contributed to more than 150 unique experiments including stem cell technology to potentially address blood diseases, autoimmune disorders and cancers. 

They tested lighting systems to help maintain circadian rhythms which will help improve conditions for future crews and those on the ground in extreme or remote environments. 

They also did plant growth and quality experients to support future future Moon and Mars missions. 

Stitch said NASA commercial crews would celebrate the successful splashdown before moving onto what is next. 

He said NASA would work hand-in-hand with Boeing on the certification of the Starliner and getting it back to flight. 

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams flew back with SpaceX after their problem-plagued Starliner returned to Earth empty months ago, leaving them behind in orbit.

"Butch and Suni's return on Dragon today shows how important it is to have different crew transportation systems," Stitch said.

He said Boeing were "super keen" on the landing today and had a watch party happening. 

"They've texted me and in the build-up to this were very keenly interested in Butch and Suni and their resilience.

"That whole Boeing team is resilient and moving forward to the next steps on Starliner."

Locals from Suni Williams's ancestral village in India cheered as they watched the NASA astronaut return from space.

Jhulasan, in Gujarat on India's west coast, is known as the ancestral village of Suni Williams's father Deepak Pandya. 

The villagers lit firecrackers and danced at a temple to celebrate the astronauts' safe return. 

NASA employees celebrated at Johnson Space Center in Houston, moments after the crew landed at sea.