NASA’s Crew-9 Return: Astronauts Prepare for Splashdown March 18

HOUSTON, Texas — NASA will livestream the anticipated return of its Crew-9 mission, featuring astronauts Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Nick Hague, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov from the International Space Station (ISS) on March 18. The live coverage will begin with hatch closure preparations at 10:45 p.m. EDT on March 17.

Mission managers have scheduled the Crew-9 return based on favorable weather conditions expected off Florida’s coast. The astronauts have completed a long-duration science expedition aboard the ISS, which has stretched unexpectedly due to issues with Boeing‘s Starliner spacecraft.

Originally set to return after 8 days, Wilmore and Williams were unable to board their Starliner due to helium leaks and thruster malfunctions. Consequently, their mission duration extended to 286 days as they remained in the ISS while awaiting transport back to Earth.

“Spaceflight is risky, even at its safest and most routine. The decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the ISS and bring Boeing’s Starliner home uncrewed is the result of our commitment to safety,” explained former NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “I’m grateful to both the NASA and Boeing teams for all their incredible and detailed work.”

Nick Hague and Gorbunov, who were on the Crew-9 mission, will also return with Williams and Wilmore aboard a Dragon capsule named ‘Freedom.’ The adjustment to the crew size allowed for the safe transportation of the two astronauts who experienced an elongated stay at the space station.

As of now, mission managers continue to monitor weather conditions that could impact the Dragon’s undocking and subsequent splashdown. The updated target for splashdown is scheduled for approximately 5:57 p.m. EDT on March 18.

In addition to the hatch closing and undocking coverage, continuous coverage will resume March 18 for the deorbit burn and splashdown, which is contingent on weather at the splashdown sites. NASA’s live coverage on its NASA+ platform will outline each phase of the return mission.

U.S. and international media wishing to join the return-to-Earth media conference on March 18 must contact NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for in-person attendance by 1 p.m. the same day. Interested parties can also join the conference by phone by contacting the center by 3 p.m.

NASA’s acting Administrator Janet Petro expressed her excitement over Crew-10’s recent arrival at the ISS and the ongoing collaboration between NASA and SpaceX. “Congratulations to our NASA and SpaceX teams on the 10th crew rotation mission under our commercial crew partnership,” Petro said. “This milestone demonstrates NASA’s continued commitment to advancing American leadership in space.”

SpaceX Crew-10, comprised of Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi, and Kirill Peskov, launched from Kennedy Space Center on March 14, expanding the crew aboard the ISS to 11 prior to the Crew-9 return.

For viewers interested in watching the return live, detailed schedules are available online at NASA’s website, including the expected timelines for hatch closure, undocking, reentry, and splashdown.