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NASA and SpaceX Crew-9 Return to Earth on Crew Dragon Freedom After 171 Days in Space

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NASA and SpaceX have successfully brought Crew-9 astronauts back to Earth aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft after 171 days in space. The mission’s splashdown occurred on March 18 at around 5:57 p.m. EDT in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Florida. Initially planned for March 19, the return was rescheduled due to weather concerns. The event was broadcast live, with coverage beginning at 4:45 p.m. EDT, capturing the final moments of the mission. The crew’s return marked the end of a long-duration stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and the astronauts were greeted with enthusiasm as they made their way home.

The Crew-9 mission, which launched on September 28, 2024, included NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov. They were joined on their return journey by Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore, who had originally arrived at the ISS aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5, 2024. Due to technical issues encountered during the Starliner’s mission, NASA and SpaceX decided to bring the astronauts back aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom instead, a decision that ensured their safe return to Earth. The Crew Dragon undocked from the ISS’s Harmony module at 1:05 a.m. EDT, beginning their journey back to Earth.

The Crew Dragon’s re-entry process included a deorbit burn scheduled for 5:11 p.m. EDT, which was the final step before the spacecraft descended toward the Earth’s surface. By the time of splashdown, Crew Dragon Freedom will have completed 171 days in space, with Hague and Gorbunov covering approximately 72.5 million statute miles and completing 2,736 orbits around Earth. Williams and Wilmore, who had been in space for a longer duration, will have spent a total of 286 days in orbit, covering over 121 million statute miles during their time aboard the ISS.

The designated landing site for the Crew Dragon Freedom was the Gulf of Mexico, a location chosen for its proximity and safety for splashdowns. Future crew landings under NASA’s commercial crew program are expected to occur in the Pacific Ocean, a change from the Gulf landing site. This successful return marks another significant milestone for NASA’s collaboration with SpaceX, further solidifying the reliability of the Crew Dragon spacecraft in transporting astronauts to and from the ISS.

Crew-9 Astronauts Arrive at ISS Amid SpaceX Rocket Anomaly

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The SpaceX Crew-9 mission successfully docked at the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday, despite SpaceX reporting an anomaly with the Falcon 9 rocket. NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov arrived safely, joining the current ISS crew after launching from Cape Canaveral the previous day. The capsule’s hatch was opened at 7:04 p.m. ET, marking the official arrival of the Crew-9 team.

The mission’s arrival at the ISS came after SpaceX disclosed that the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket experienced an off-nominal deorbit burn, resulting in its disposal in the ocean, though it missed the targeted area. SpaceX has paused future Falcon 9 flights pending further investigation into the root cause of the issue.

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who had been on the ISS since June after issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft, will return to Earth with Crew-9 next year. Due to technical issues with the Starliner, NASA decided to extend their stay and use SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for their return. The Starliner returned to Earth unmanned in September following complications with helium leaks and thruster malfunctions.

Williams and Wilmore had originally planned for a short stay on the ISS, but NASA adjusted its plans, extending their mission. They will now fulfill duties alongside the Crew-9 team until their scheduled return in early 2024. NASA cited vehicle availability and ISS operational needs as key reasons for keeping the astronauts in space for a full crew rotation.

The full ISS crew now consists of NASA’s Don Pettit, Russian cosmonauts Aleksey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, Williams, Wilmore, Hague, and Gorbunov. NASA and Russia’s Roscosmos have continued their collaborative seat-swapping program, which brought Pettit and Gorbunov to the station on spacecraft from each other’s countries.

SpaceX’s next mission, Crew-10, is slated for February 2024 and will involve a newly developed Crew Dragon capsule. Until then, Williams and Wilmore will remain in space, having adapted to the extended mission duration.

 

Four Civilians on SpaceX Mission Complete Historic First Commercial Spacewalk

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A crew of four civilians aboard SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission achieved a groundbreaking milestone by completing the first-ever commercial spacewalk. At 6:12 a.m. ET, the crew unlocked the hatch of their Crew Dragon capsule and exposed themselves to the vacuum of space for the historic event, also known as extravehicular activity (EVA). This event marks a significant step forward in the realm of private space exploration, as it’s the first time non-government astronauts have conducted a spacewalk.

The five-day mission, which had already set records by traveling farther into space than any human has since NASA’s Apollo program, saw the Crew Dragon vehicle depressurized, exposing the entire crew to space. The team included Shift4 Payments CEO Jared Isaacman, who funded the Polaris Dawn mission, former US Air Force pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. They had been training for this moment since their launch at 5:23 a.m. ET on Tuesday.

Before exiting the spacecraft, the crew underwent a “pre-breathe” process to purge their blood of nitrogen, preventing potentially fatal gas bubbles from forming in their bodies. Isaacman was the first to leave the capsule, stepping onto a mobility aid, dubbed “skywalker,” to venture into the vastness of space. “Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here — looks like a perfect world,” Isaacman commented as he took in the breathtaking views.

Historic EVA and Spacesuit Testing

Although the spacewalk was brief, with Isaacman and Gillis spending a combined 20 minutes outside the spacecraft, it was an essential demonstration of SpaceX’s newly designed EVA suits. These suits, developed in just two and a half years, are designed to be more flexible and functional than traditional spacesuits, which are often bulky and expensive. SpaceX’s goal is to create spacesuits that are mass-produced and affordable for the future of space travel, which could one day involve large numbers of people living in space.

The new EVA suits do not include a Primary Life Support System (PLSS) like those used by astronauts on the International Space Station. Instead, life support is provided by long hoses connected to the Crew Dragon capsule. This technology could represent a step toward making space exploration more accessible and cost-effective. SpaceX founder Elon Musk has previously discussed the importance of affordable space suits for large-scale space settlement, and this mission plays a key role in that vision.

Isaacman and Gillis’s spacewalk also tested the mobility of the new suits, with Gillis noting the experience of “wiggling around” to assess their flexibility in the weightlessness of space. While the other crew members remained inside the capsule, they still enjoyed stunning views of Earth from their windows, witnessing sunrises and sunsets every 106 minutes.

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Scientific Research and Future Space Exploration

In addition to the historic spacewalk, the Polaris Dawn crew is conducting nearly 40 scientific experiments during their time in orbit. These studies focus on various challenges faced by humans in space, including space adaptation syndrome, which affects about half of all astronauts. The crew will also use special contact lenses equipped with pressure sensors to study how the eyeballs respond to pressure changes in microgravity, a project affectionately known as “the cyborg experiment.”

The crew’s mission is expected to last five or six days, with their return to Earth potentially occurring early Sunday morning. They have been communicating with Earth via SpaceX’s Starlink satellite system, sharing breathtaking images of their journey and expressing gratitude for the support they’ve received.

The Future of Commercial Space Travel

This mission represents a significant leap forward for the commercial space industry. As NASA Administrator Bill Nelson remarked after the spacewalk, “Today’s success represents a giant leap forward for the commercial space industry and NASA’s long-term goal to build a vibrant U.S. space economy.”

The mission’s success highlights the growing role of private companies like SpaceX in pushing the boundaries of human space exploration, paving the way for future missions that may involve civilians traveling even deeper into space.