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Crew-9 Commander First Words: NASA astronaut Nick Hague delivered his first message to mission control after a successful return to Earth, expressing the crew’s excitement. “We’re grinning ear to ear,” Hague said, though the audio was slightly choppy.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the four Crew-9 astronauts splashed down safely in the waters off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida. NASA’s Sandra Jones described the moment just before touchdown, saying, “There’s just breathtaking views of a calm, glass-like ocean.”
Recovery Operations Underway
Rescue ships operated by SpaceX are now expected to retrieve the capsule. A specialized rig onboard one of the vessels will lift the spacecraft into what is known as the “Dragon’s nest,” where astronauts will be assisted out of the capsule and undergo initial medical checks.
Extended Mission for Wilmore and Williams
Among the returning astronauts are NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, whose initial weeklong mission was extended to more than nine months. The two were originally launched into space last June aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for a test flight. However, NASA later determined that returning them on the same vehicle posed too many risks, leading to their return via SpaceX’s Crew Dragon instead.
Their mission officially concludes as part of the Crew-9 rotation, alongside Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Crew-9’s departure was made possible after four Crew-10 astronauts arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday to take over station duties.
Political Controversy Surrounding Their Return
The prolonged stay of Wilmore and Williams in space became a political talking point after statements from former President Donald Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk suggested that the astronauts could have returned earlier. Their comments implied that the Biden administration had delayed the return, though no official clarification was provided.
