NASA and SpaceX are gearing up for the much-awaited return of Crew-9 from the International Space Station (ISS), bringing back NASA astronauts Sunita 'Suni' Williams, Nick Hague, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. Their journey home aboard the Dragon spacecraft is set for Tuesday, 18 March 2025, with splashdown expected off the coast of Florida.
NASA+ will stream key moments, including undocking, deorbit burn, and splashdown, on its official website, mobile app, and social media channels. The live broadcast begins on Monday, 17 March at 10:45 pm EDT (March 18, 8:15 am IST) with hatch closure preparations, followed by continuous coverage of the crew’s return.
Mission Timeline and Return Schedule
Monday, 17 March (EDT) | Tuesday, 18 March (IST)
- 10:45 pm EDT (8:15 am IST) – Live coverage begins with hatch closure preparations.
Tuesday, 18 March (EDT) | Wednesday, 19 March (IST)
- 12:45 am EDT (10:15 am IST) – Live coverage of undocking begins.
- 1:05 am EDT (10:35 am IST) – Crew-9 spacecraft undocks from the ISS.
- 4:45 pm EDT (2:15 am IST, Wednesday) – Coverage resumes in anticipation of re-entry.
- 5:11 pm EDT (2:41 am IST, Wednesday) – Deorbit burn expected.
- 5:57 pm EDT (3:27 am IST, Wednesday) – Splashdown in the ocean.
Dragon will return with crucial scientific research conducted during Crew-9’s extended stay aboard the ISS.
Williams and Wilmore’s mission, originally planned as a week-long stay in June 2024, was significantly extended due to propulsion issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which was meant to bring them back. After nearly nine months in orbit, the duo, along with their crewmates, are finally set to return to Earth.