NASA and SpaceX are gearing up for the much-anticipated return of Crew-9 from the International Space Station (ISS). The crew, consisting of NASA astronauts [Sunita Williams](https://www.financialexpress.com/life/science-countdown-begins-for-sunita-williams-and-butch-wilmores-return-to-earth-nasa-confirms-date-shares-splashdown-time-3778993/), Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, is scheduled to splash down on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 (Wednesday, March 19, in India).
Their Dragon spacecraft will carry back valuable scientific research conducted during their extended mission aboard the ISS. NASA will offer live coverage of the return, with real-time updates available across multiple platforms.
NASA began its live coverage on Monday, March 17, at 10:45 PM EDT (8:15 AM [IST](https://www.financialexpress.com/market/ist-ltd-share-price/)), starting with hatch closure preparations, followed by uninterrupted coverage of the crew’s return journey. The exact splashdown site will be confirmed closer to re-entry, but it is anticipated to be off the coast of Florida, near the Kennedy Space Center.
**Tuesday, March 18**
8:15 am IST – Hatch closing coverage begins on NASA+
11:15 a.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+
10:35 a.m – Undocking
**Wednesday, March 19**
2:15 a.m – Return coverage begins on NASA+
2:41 a.m – Deorbit burn (time is approximate)
3:27 a.m. – Splashdown (time is approximate)
5:00 a.m – Return-to-Earth media conference on NASA+