{"id":187127,"date":"2025-03-17T08:03:04","date_gmt":"2025-03-16T22:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?guid=f67e354fc90c6006a314ad104c61390b"},"modified":"2025-03-17T08:03:04","modified_gmt":"2025-03-16T22:03:04","slug":"nasa-to-provide-live-coverage-of-crew-9-return-splashdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=187127","title":{"rendered":"NASA to Provide Live Coverage of Crew-9 Return, Splashdown"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"NASA's<\/a><\/figure>
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NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 members pose together for a portrait inside the vestibule between the International Space Station and the SpaceX Dragon crew spacecraft. Clockwise from left, are NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Suni Williams, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.<\/div>\n
NASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NASA will provide live coverage of the agency\u2019s SpaceX Crew-9 return to Earth from the International Space Station, beginning with Dragon spacecraft hatch closure preparations at 10:45 p.m. EDT Monday, March 17.<\/p>\n

NASA and SpaceX met on Sunday to assess weather and splashdown conditions off Florida\u2019s coast for the return of the agency\u2019s Crew-9 mission from the International Space Station. Mission managers are\u00a0targeting an earlier Crew-9 return opportunity based on favorable conditions forecasted for the evening of Tuesday, March 18. The updated return target continues to allow the space station crew members time to complete handover duties while providing operational flexibility ahead of less favorable weather conditions expected for later in the week.<\/p>\n

NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, are completing a long-duration science expedition aboard the orbiting laboratory and will return time-sensitive research to Earth.<\/p>\n

Mission managers will continue monitoring weather conditions in the area, as Dragon\u2019s undocking depends on various factors, including spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors<\/a>. NASA and SpaceX will confirm the specific splashdown location closer to the Crew-9 return.<\/p>\n

Watch Crew-9 return activities on NASA+<\/a>. Learn how to watch NASA content<\/a> through a variety of additional platforms, including social media. For schedule information, visit:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/live<\/a><\/p>\n

For Crew-9 return, NASA\u2019s live operations coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):<\/p>\n

Monday, March 17<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

10:45 p.m. \u2013 Hatch closing coverage begins on NASA+<\/p>\n

Tuesday, March 18<\/strong><\/p>\n

12:45 a.m. \u2013 Undocking coverage begins on NASA+<\/p>\n

1:05 a.m. \u2013 Undocking<\/p>\n

Following the conclusion of undocking coverage, NASA will switch to audio only<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pending weather conditions at the splashdown sites, continuous coverage will resume on March 18 on NASA+ prior to the start of deorbit burn.<\/p>\n

4:45 p.m. \u2013 Return coverage begins on NASA+<\/p>\n

5:11 p.m. \u2013 Deorbit burn (time is approximate)<\/p>\n

5:57 p.m. \u2013 Splashdown (time is approximate)<\/p>\n

7:30 p.m. \u2013 Return-to-Earth media conference on NASA+, with the following participants:<\/p>\n