Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore return: Dragon undocks from ISS, Crew-9 begins journey home (WATCH)
SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA’s Crew-9 astronauts, including Sunita Williams, has undocked from the International Space Station and is on its 17-hour return journey to Earth. The capsule is set for re-entry and splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean on March 19.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA’s Crew-9 astronauts—Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore—and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, has successfully detached from the International Space Station (ISS), beginning its 17-hour return trip to Earth. The automated undocking took place at 10:35 a.m. IST on March 18, as Dragon separated from the Harmony module’s forward-facing port and gradually moved away, guided by precise thruster maneuvers.
Over the next several hours, the spacecraft will fine-tune its course, complete essential system evaluations, and ready itself for the deorbit burn planned for early Wednesday.
Dragon separation confirmed! pic.twitter.com/xjToQWAsLm
— SpaceX (@SpaceX)Latest Videos
Upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, Dragon will endure extreme heat before deploying parachutes to ensure a controlled splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean at 3:27 a.m. IST on March 19.
Also Read: Lessons from Sunita Williams’ Extended Mission: Shaping the Future of Space Exploration
Critical Deorbit Burn and Re-Entry Maneuver to Begin Early Wednesday Morning
The deorbit burn and re-entry sequence is scheduled to commence in the early hours of Wednesday, March 19, at 2:15 a.m. IST. During this phase, the SpaceX Dragon capsule will position itself for re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. This critical stage will see the spacecraft endure intense heat and pressure while traveling at hypersonic speeds, before it deploys its parachutes to ensure a controlled descent.
The mission is set to conclude with a splashdown at 3:27 a.m. IST off the coast of Florida, where recovery teams will be on standby to safely retrieve the astronauts and transport them back to land.
The return journey from the International Space Station (ISS) to Earth is a meticulously planned 17-hour process, requiring a series of precise maneuvers and strict safety procedures. Unlike a typical flight, re-entering Earth's atmosphere from space involves several critical phases—beginning with undocking, followed by a controlled descent, atmospheric re-entry, parachute deployment, and concluding with an ocean splashdown. SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft autonomously handles each of these stages, ensuring the astronauts experience a safe and steady return after spending months in microgravity.
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