NASA Crew-9 Astronauts Return To Earth After Nine Months In Space

Picture Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber

NASA Crew-9 astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov took their first breath of fresh air in over nine months on Wednesday following the successful splashdown of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.

As per protocol, the astronauts were assisted out of the capsule on stretchers, CNN reported.

SpaceX follows this precautionary measure for all astronauts returning from extended space missions.

Before the astronauts exited, a crew member rinsed the Crew Dragon spacecraft with fresh water to minimize saltwater exposure.

“Saltwater is corrosive, and we want to try and rinse out as much of the salt water as possible to reduce that corrosion on the metallic structures,” explained SpaceX’s Kate Tice.

Throughout its time in orbit, the side hatch of the Crew Dragon remains sealed.

Once docked at the ISS, astronauts use a different hatch on top of the spacecraft for entry and exit, CNN noted.

SpaceX’s recovery vessel, Megan, deployed a large rig to hoist the capsule from the ocean.

Crew members nearby ensured there were no fuel leaks as part of post-splashdown safety measures.

Adding a unique moment to the landing, dolphins were spotted circling the capsule off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida.

CNN reported that at least five dolphins swam around the spacecraft as it floated in the water.

Nearby boats helped stabilize the capsule and secure the astronauts.

Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov had been in space since September 2024.

However, Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams had an even longer stay, having launched last June.

Their mission was initially short. However, technical issues with their Boeing Starliner capsule extended it to over nine months. These issues also delayed their return.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted that US President Donald Trump had delivered on his commitment to bring back the delayed astronauts.

Taking to X, she posted, “President Trump promised to look out for the forgotten man and woman. At 5:57PM ET tonight – promise made, promise kept!”

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Mankrit Kaur