March 19, 2025 | Space & Science News
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission has successfully concluded as four astronauts returned to Earth in a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, splashing down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida in the Gulf of America. The crew included NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Sunita “Suni” Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
🌍 Mission Overview:
- 🛬 Splashdown Time: 5:57 p.m. EDT, March 18, 2025
- 🚢 Recovery: Teams aboard SpaceX vessels retrieved the crew and spacecraft
- 🏠 Return: Astronauts will now fly to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Houston for medical checks and family reunions
🧪 Scientific Achievements:
During their time aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Crew-9 completed:
- 🔬 150+ scientific experiments
- 🌱 Studies on plant growth, stem cell technology, lighting systems for circadian rhythm management, and more
- 🛰️ Deployed the first wooden satellite
- 🧫 Sample collection from ISS’s exterior to study survival of microorganisms in space
🚀 Flight Stats:
| Astronaut | Days in Space | Orbits | Distance Travelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunita Williams | 286 Days | 4,576 | 121.3 million miles |
| Butch Wilmore | 286 Days | 4,576 | 121.3 million miles |
| Nick Hague | 171 Days | 2,736 | 72.5 million miles |
| Aleksandr Gorbunov | 171 Days | 2,736 | 72.5 million miles |
- 🌟 Sunita Williams now holds the record for most spacewalk time by a female astronaut – 62 hours and 6 minutes!
- 🧑🚀 Wilmore and Hague also completed critical spacewalks and maintenance tasks on the station.
🏗️ Mission Collaboration:
- Williams and Wilmore launched via Boeing Starliner on June 5, 2024, part of NASA’s Crew Flight Test.
- Hague and Gorbunov launched on Sept 28, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
- Dragon spacecraft “Freedom” completed its 4th flight in this mission and will now be inspected for reuse.
🛰️ The Bigger Picture:
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, in collaboration with SpaceX and Boeing, aims to enable safe, reliable, and cost-effective transport to the ISS. These missions pave the way for deeper space exploration — including upcoming Artemis Moon missions and future Mars exploration.
“Through preparation, ingenuity, and dedication, we achieve great things together for the benefit of humanity,” said NASA Acting Administrator Janet Petro.
