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NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore are no longer stuck in space, as they returned to Earth on Tuesday, marking the end of a saga that began with a troubled test flight more than nine months ago. Their SpaceX capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico in the early evening, just hours after departing the International Space Station. The splashdown occurred off the coast of Tallahassee in the Florida Panhandle, bringing their unplanned journey to a close.
NASA astronaut and Crew-9 commander Nick Hague was the first to emerge from the Dragon capsule with the help of ground crew, almost an hour after the Dragon capsule splashed down off the Florida coast. Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov slid down a ramp coming out of the capsule next, followed by Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore.
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A spectacular sight greeted SpaceX Dragon Freedom with astronauts as their capsule made a successful splashdown off the coast of Florida. A pod of dolphins were seen swimming around the spacecraft.
Astronaut Sunita Williams exits the Dragon spacecraft, experiencing Earth's gravity for the first time in 286 days. She will undergo initial health checkups before flying to Houston with Crew-9. Butch Wilmore, who flew to space with Williams in June 2024, has also been recovered from the Dragon and is now aboard the recovery ship. Nick Hague, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Grebenkin too have been recovered.
All four astronauts are being transferred from the Dragon spacecraft to the recovery ship. They will be placed on stretchers and taken to a health bay for initial checkups and assessments.
The recovery crew has opened the hatch of Dragon Freedom to begin egress and ensure the astronauts are safely moved out. The side hatch was last opened in September when the Dragon launched into space. All four astronauts will be recovered from Dragon Freedom, with medical personnel onsite for initial inspections to ensure their safety and well-being.
The Dragon spacecraft has been lifted onto the SpaceX recovery vessel. The four astronauts are safe and healthy inside the capsule, awaiting egress.
The Dragon spacecraft will be hoisted aboard the recovery vessel, after which the four astronauts will be assisted in exiting the vehicle.
Following a safe splashdown, SpaceX recovery teams have arrived at the site, and the vehicle will soon be lifted onto the recovery vessel.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Grebenkin have safely returned to Earth after their mission aboard the International Space Station. SpaceX confirmed the Dragon capsule's splashdown off the coast of Florida, following a successful re-entry and parachute deployment.
“Splashdown of Dragon confirmed – welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks!” SpaceX announced.
Dragon Freedome with Sunita Williams, Butch Willmore, Nick Hague and Russian Cosmonaut has splashed down successfully and safely.
SpaceX has successfully re-established contact with Crew-9 as they safely enter Earth's atmosphere. Tracking cameras are now active, monitoring the Dragon spacecraft's approach toward the designated splashdown site off the coast of Florida.
Communication between the Dragon spacecraft and SpaceX Mission Control has been temporarily lost as the vehicle re-enters Earth's atmosphere. This loss of signal is caused by the plasma buildup from the intense heat generated during re-entry. Signal is expected to be restored shortly.
Dragon is now aligned on its trajectory toward the splashdown zone and has entered Earth's atmosphere. Due to the buildup of plasma, there will be a brief communication blackout. The spacecraft is flying autonomously, and SpaceX is expected to regain signal shortly after Dragon Freedom completes atmospheric entry.
The Dragon spacecraft is preparing for re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, with Freedom flying autonomously above the planet as it heads toward a splashdown off the coast of Florida.
NASA's Boeing Starliner astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, along with two others, are ready to deorbit and splash down back on Earth. They will be heading to one of the eight targeted sites supported by SpaceX and NASA, and for today, the prime recovery site is off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida.
The de-orbit burn has been successfully completed, and SpaceX is now closing the nose cone of the spacecraft. The nose cone has remained open since docking with the ISS in September. Once closed, the spacecraft will be ready to enter Earth's atmosphere.
The Draco thrusters on the Dragon spacecraft have been activated, setting it on a precise trajectory for splashdown. The Dragon will soon enter Earth's atmosphere.