SpaceX Dragon successfully splashes down, returning NASA astronauts back to Earth
The two NASA astronauts whose eight-day stopover on the International Space Station (ISS) turned into a nine-and-a-half-month mission are finally back on Earth.
SpaceX Dragon Freedom
On Tuesday at 5:57 pm EDT, SpaceX Dragon Freedom splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, carrying Sunita ‘Suni’ Williams and Butch Wilmore along with NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
It was an idyllic day for a return to Earth Tuesday, with the astronauts splashing down to 78 degrees Fahrenheit weather. A pod of curious dolphins was also seen swimming around the capsule as ground crews were preparing the capsule to be opened after landing.
Fresh Air
The capsule was eventually brought out of the water and placed on a recovery ship where the astronauts finally got to have their first breath of fresh air in over nine months.
Boeing’s Starliner Capsule
Williams and Wilmore had in June 2024 performed the first astronaut-crewed flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule. What was expected to be a weeklong trip to the ISS instead turned into a nine-month stay. The Boeing Starliner that was expected to carry them home after about 10 days experienced issues, leaving the pair at the station for months.
Early Tuesday morning, the SpaceX Dragon carrying Williams, Wilmore, Hague and Gorbunov undocked autonomously from the ISS at 1:05 a.m. ET and began its 17-hour journey back to Earth.
As the Dragon separated from the ISS, the Crew-9 and ISS astronauts shared farewells and well wishes over the radio. Dragon commander Nick Hague told the ISS crew, “On behalf of Crew-9, I’d like to say it was a privilege to call station home. To live and work and be a part of a mission and a team that spans the globe working together in cooperation for the benefit of humanity.”
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