By: Niddi Sadarangani
On Tuesday, March 18th, Space X’s Crew-9 Astronauts – Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Aleksandr Gorbunov – returned from being stranded in space for 9 months. They splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida, at approximately 5:57p.m. EDT.
On June 5th 2024, Williams and Wilmore initially travelled to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Starliner for what was planned as a short eight-day mission. The mission’s duration was unexpectedly extended due to system faults and technical malfunctions.
In September 2024, Hague and Gorbunov joined their colleagues and the four of them conducted extensive scientific research and maintenance activities during their time in orbit. During this time, Williams set a new record by a female astronaut for total spacewalking time of 62 hours and 6 minutes.
Upon their return, the astronauts had to readjust their bodies to the Earth’s gravity, while working on balance issues and sensory adaptations. The crew were also happily reunited with their families. The extended stay of Crew-9 in space has contributed valuable data and new insights for future missions.
Works Cited
Dooren, Jennifer M. “NASA to Provide Live Coverage of Crew-9 Return, Splashdown.” NASA, 16 Mar. 2025, www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-to-provide-live-coverage-of-crew-9-return-splashdown/.
Foust, Jeff. “Crew-9 returns from space station.” Space News, 18 Mar. 2025, spacenews.com/crew-9-returns-from-space-station/.
Lee, Gayoung. “After 286 Days in Space, NASA Astronauts Return to Earth with a Splash.” Edited by Lee Billings. Scientific American, 18 Mar. 2025, www.scientificamerican.com/article/after-286-days-in-space-nasa-astronauts-return-to-earth-with-a-splash/.
Yilmaz, Asiye Latife. “Sunita Williams breaks record for longest spacewalk time by woman.” AA, 31 Jan. 2025, www.aa.com.tr/en/science-technology/sunita-williams-breaks-record-for-longest-spacewalk-time-by-woman/3468051.