When NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in June, they anticipated a stay of only a few weeks. Instead, their mission extended to nine months. In the early hours of Tuesday, at 1:05 a.m. Eastern Time, the pair finally began their long-awaited journey back to Earth.
Ms. Williams, Mr. Wilmore, and two additional astronauts boarded the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule late Monday. At 11:05 p.m. Eastern Time, the hatch was sealed, and over the next 40 minutes, the crew donned their flight suits, completed leak checks, and secured themselves in their seats for departure. Two hours later, the Crew Dragon autonomously undocked from the ISS, officially commencing their 17-hour return flight.
The Crew Dragon is set to splash down at approximately 5:57 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday off the Gulf Coast near Tallahassee, Florida. Following the landing, recovery crews will secure the vehicle and assist the astronauts as they exit onto a waiting ship. Shortly thereafter, they will be flown to Houston, home of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, which serves as the hub for human spaceflight operations. Live video coverage of the landing is scheduled to begin at 4:45 p.m. Eastern Time.
Joining Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore aboard Crew Dragon are Nick Hague of NASA and Aleksandr Gorbunov of Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. Mr. Hague is the commander of the mission, which has been designated Crew-9—the ninth such operation conducted by SpaceX to ferry astronauts for extended ISS missions.
Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore originally traveled to the ISS aboard Starliner, a Boeing spacecraft that was expected to provide NASA with an alternative American option for orbital transport. However, due to issues with its propulsion system, Starliner was sent back to Earth without a crew in September. Consequently, the astronauts transitioned into full crew members aboard the ISS, conducting scientific research and maintenance on the station, which has remained continuously occupied for nearly 25 years.
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After months in space, the SpaceX Crew-9 astronauts are finally stepping out of their 13-foot-wide capsule, which has been their home since departing the International Space Station overnight. Following standard procedure for returning space travelers, the astronauts are being carried on stretchers to help them adjust to Earth’s gravity. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov have spent more than six months in space since their launch in September 2024. Meanwhile, NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have been away even longer—their mission began in June and was originally planned to last just a week. However, technical issues with their...
The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the four Crew-9 astronauts has splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida.
Moments before touchdown, NASA’s Sandra Jones described the scene: “Breathtaking views of a calm, glass-like ocean.”
SpaceX rescue ships are now en route, with a specialized rig set to lift the capsule onto the recovery platform, known as the “Dragon’s nest.”
Drogue and main parachutes have deployed pic.twitter.com/X0wiXqFaPt
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 18, 2025
After Dragon reenters Earth's atmosphere, it will splash down off the coast of Florida near Tallahassee at ~5:57 p.m. ET pic.twitter.com/IxX7ZxxpPM
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 18, 2025
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