Astronauts Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams on Moment They Knew They Were Coming Home

Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are recalling their space odyssey for the first time ... including the moment they knew they had a ride home.

Butch and Suni sat down with FOX News for their first interview since being rescued from the International Space Station and they explained their thoughts and emotions when they finally had a date on the calendar they could circle after spending 9 months stranded in space.

Elon Musk's SpaceX Dragon capsule brought them home after 286 days in the final frontier ... and Suni describes her immediate reaction when the spacecraft that would bring them back to Earth docked at the ISS.

Butch and Suni were also asked about Elon and President Trump's role in their rescue mission ... and Butch explained why he was grateful and how they earned his trust. Suni said she was glad they got involved.

As you know ... Wilmore and Williams, two test pilots, were only supposed to be in space for 8 days ... they flew the Boeing Starliner to the ISS in June 2024, but due to thruster issues and helium leaks, NASA decided to return the spacecraft to Earth completely empty -- forcing their unexpected staycation in space.

It's worth noting ... they were never actually "stranded" -- Butch and Suni arrived at the ISS prepared for an extended stay in the event something on the mission went sideways. NASA considered whether the two could fly back on the Boeing Starliner, but NASA vetoed them getting on that return trip due to safety concerns.

They also had the opportunity to return in September, but they opted to stay, because the SpaceX craft sent up at the time kept 2 crew members off the flight, to allow Buch and Suni seats for the ride back ... but that would have left no replacements on the ISS if they had departed. So they stayed.