NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 mission has successfully completed its ninth commercial crew rotation, with the spacecraft splashing down safely off the coast of Florida. The crew of four astronauts – Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Aleksandr Gorbunov – returned to Earth at 5:57 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.
The mission, which lasted for months, was marked by numerous scientific experiments and technology demonstrations conducted by the crew. Astronauts Williams and Wilmore spent over 150 hours performing spacewalks, while Hague and Gorbunov contributed to vital science work.
Gorbunov became the first cosmonaut to fly on a SpaceX mission, marking an important milestone for international cooperation. The astronauts also tested lighting systems to help maintain circadian rhythms, investigated plant growth and quality, and analyzed samples from space station exterior surfaces.
The Crew-9 spacecraft will now be inspected and processed at SpaceX’s facility in Cape Canaveral before its next flight. This completes the ninth commercial crew rotation mission by NASA, demonstrating safe and reliable transportation to low Earth orbit.
The successful return of the Crew-9 astronauts follows on the heels of another recent launch, marking a key step forward for humanity’s exploration of space.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/welcome-home-nasas-spacex-crew-9-back-on-earth-after-science-mission