Thu Mar 20 08:20:00 UTC 2025: ## NASA’s Crew-9 Returns to Earth After Successful Space Station Mission

**Tallahassee, FL** – NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission concluded Tuesday with a successful splashdown off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida. The four-person crew – NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov – returned to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft “Freedom” at 5:57 p.m. EDT.

The crew, who spent months conducting vital scientific research, technology demonstrations, and station maintenance, were recovered by SpaceX teams and are en route to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro praised the mission’s success, highlighting the accelerated return schedule completed a month ahead of time per President Trump’s direction. The mission involved a unique collaborative effort between NASA, SpaceX, and Roscosmos, demonstrating international cooperation in space exploration.

The mission comprised two separate launch events. Hague and Gorbunov launched on September 28, 2024, while Williams and Wilmore launched on June 5, 2024, joining the space station later. During their time aboard the ISS, the crew completed over 4,500 orbits of Earth, accumulating a combined total of over 193 million miles traveled.

Williams’ contributions were particularly noteworthy, setting a new record for total spacewalking time by a female astronaut (62 hours and 6 minutes). The crew as a whole conducted more than 150 unique scientific experiments, covering areas such as plant growth, stem cell research, and the effects of space on microorganisms. This research encompassed over 900 hours of work in microgravity.

The Dragon spacecraft, “Freedom,” will undergo inspection and preparation at SpaceX’s facility in Cape Canaveral before its next mission. Crew-9’s return marks a significant achievement for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, ensuring safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station as the agency looks towards future lunar and Martian exploration.

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