March 18, 2025
We came up prepared to stay long, even though we planned to stay short. … That’s what your nation’s human spaceflight program is all about — planning for unknown, unexpected contingencies.
NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, commenting from the International Space Station earlier this month on his original space mission turning into a nine-month stint.
Why It Matters: Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore originally had a weeklong mission to space, but it turned into nine months due to technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Now, they are returning with SpaceX. Wilmore and Williams, both retired Navy captains, said they were happy to embrace a longer stay, staying busy with science experiments and station maintenance.
What To Know:
- The SpaceX Dragon undocked from the International Space Station early Tuesday and is set to splash down off the Florida coast around 6 p.m. ET. The flight home will require the Crew-9 astronauts to travel at a speed of 17,500 mph, according to NASA. The return trip is one of the most dangerous parts of the mission, as the capsule’s heat shield will have to withstand temperatures of about 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Three NASA astronauts, Nike Hague, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are aboard the Dragon capsule on their way to Earth.
Read More: After an Extended Stay in Space, NASA Astronauts are Flying Home (The Washington Post)
Dragon Undocks With SpaceX Crew-9 Members for Return to Earth (NASA)
NASA Starliner Astronauts Begin 17-Hour Journey to Splashdown off Florida Coast (ABC)
Image Credit: NASA Commercial Crew via X
by Jalen Meyerpeter, Based in Arizona.
