Four astronauts aboard the International Space Station are preparing to depart on a return journey to Earth, weather permitting. The crew members of SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission, led by Commander Nick Hague, will undock from the station and splash down off the coast of Florida.
Hague and three fellow NASA astronauts – Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov – will leave the space station on Tuesday at 1:05 a.m. EDT. They will spend approximately eight hours in space before splashing down at around 5:57 p.m.
During their time on the station, the crew conducted various scientific experiments, including two human research studies. Hague explored electrical muscle stimulation as a supplement to space exercise, while Gorbunov tested a lower body negative pressure suit that could counteract space-caused head and eye pressure.
The Crew-9 astronauts spent several days getting used to life on orbit after launching from the Kennedy Space Center on Friday. They will be joined by another crew arriving in April as part of Expedition 73.
The International Space Station has reached its current altitude following a recent orbital reboost maneuver, which positions the station for upcoming Soyuz crew swap activities in April.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/03/17/four-dragon-crewmates-prepare-to-depart-station-and-return-to-earth