NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 returns to Earth after extended ISS mission

WASHINGTON - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) SpaceX Crew-9 mission returned to Earth on Tuesday, concluding the agency's ninth commercial crew rotation to the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, at 5:57 p.m. EDT on 18 March.

NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, were retrieved by SpaceX recovery teams. The crew will be transported to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for medical evaluations and reunions with family.

"We are thrilled to have Suni, Butch, Nick, and Aleksandr home after their months-long mission conducting vital science, technology demonstrations, and maintenance aboard the International Space Station," said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro.

Related: NASA provides update on Boeing Starliner return status

Hague and Gorbunov launched on 28 Sept. 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Williams and Wilmore had initially launched on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on 5 June 2024, as part of NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. However, Starliner was deemed unfit for a crewed return flight after encountering multiple technical issues, including helium leaks and thruster failures. As a result, NASA opted to return Williams and Wilmore aboard Crew-9’s Dragon capsule, integrating them into the mission. The Starliner capsule was returned to Earth uncrewed for further inspection and repairs.

During their mission, Williams and Wilmore traveled 121 million miles, spent 286 days in space, and completed 4,576 Earth orbits. Hague and Gorbunov spent 171 days in space, covering 72 million miles with 2,736 orbits.

Mission objectives

Crew-9 conducted more than 150 scientific experiments, including research on plant growth, stem cell technology, and astronaut circadian rhythms. Williams completed two spacewalks, setting the record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut at 62 hours and 6 minutes.

The Dragon spacecraft Freedom, making its fourth flight, will undergo inspection and refurbishment at SpaceX's Cape Canaveral facility. Crew-9’s return follows the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 on 16 March which began a new long-duration ISS mission.