LIVE UPDATES: NASA SpaceX Crew 9 Return To Earth; Butch and Suni Coming Home After Extended Mission

After an unplanned extended mission, NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are set to return to Earth aboard SpaceX's Crew-9 Dragon spacecraft tomorrow.

The duo, who originally arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner, faced unexpected delays due to technical issues with their spacecraft, leading to a reassignment to NASA SpaceX Crew 9.

LIVE COVERAGE & UPDATES: https://youtube.com/live/9zO4tgtZs9U?feature=share

Return To Earth Moved Up

NASA and SpaceX officials met on Sunday to assess weather and splashdown conditions, ultimately targeting a March 18 return, with favorable conditions forecasted off Florida’s coast, couple days earlier than originally expected.

"The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected for later in the week," - NASA Statement

Monday, March 17

• 11:15 p.m. – Hatch Closing

Tuesday, March 18:

• 1:05 a.m. – Undocking

• 5:11 p.m. – Deorbit Burn

• 5:57 p.m. – Splashdown Off Florida Coast

Following splashdown, Williams and Wilmore will undergo standard post-mission medical evaluations and debriefings before returning to Houston. The extended nature of their mission may provide valuable insights into long-duration spaceflight effects, benefiting future missions, including those to the Moon and Mars.

Butch and Suni's Extended Mission

• June 2024: Launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner for what was intended to be a one-week mission.

• Summer 2024: Technical failures, including helium leaks and thruster issues, delay their return.

Williams and Wilmore were originally scheduled for a short mission aboard Boeing’s Starliner CST-100, but the spacecraft suffered from helium leaks and thruster failures that prevented a safe return.

• September 2024: NASA determines Starliner is unsafe for reentry and plans to bring them home on a SpaceX mission.

By September 2024, NASA ruled Starliner unsafe for crewed reentry and opted to return the astronauts via SpaceX’s Crew Dragon instead.

• February 2025: Return delayed again due to battery issues with SpaceX’s newer Crew Dragon capsule.

• March 2025: NASA and SpaceX pivot to using the flight-proven Endurance capsule, launching Crew-10 to replace Crew-9, clearing the way for Williams and Wilmore’s return.

NASA had to coordinate their return with the arrival of a replacement crew, Crew-10, but delays in launching a new Crew Dragon capsule further postponed their departure. Ultimately, NASA decided to use a flight-proven Dragon capsule, Endurance, which successfully launched on Friday night, allowing the Crew-10 astronauts to take over ISS duties and enabling Wilmore and Williams’ return.

Crew-9 Mission and Their Role

NASA’s Crew-9 mission, which includes astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in September 2024. Their mission involved conducting scientific research, technology demonstrations, and spacewalks for ISS maintenance over a five-month stay.

NASA scheduled an overlap between Crew-9 and Crew-10 to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities aboard the ISS. With Crew-10 now safely on board, Wilmore, Williams, Hague, and Gorbunov are ready to make their long-awaited return.

TLP will provide full return to Earth coverage of Butch, Suni, and Crew 9 at https://youtube.com/live/9zO4tgtZs9U?feature=share