3m agoTue 18 Mar 2025 at 9:29pm
How do the splashdown zones get prepared?
By Georgie Hewson
For return operations like this, NASA and SpaceX closely coordinate with the US Coast Guard to establish a safety zone.
Multiple notices are issued to mariners in advance of the operation and Coast Guard patrol boats are deployed to discourage people from entering splashdown zones.
Once the crew has splashed down, a boat will then pick up the crew and they will be flown to their crew quarters at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for several days of health checks, per routine for astronaut returns, before flight surgeons approve that they can go home to their families.6m agoTue 18 Mar 2025 at 9:26pm
De-orbit burn complete, closure of nosecone up next
By Georgie Hewson
The de-orbit burn phase is now complete and things could start moving quite quickly from here.
The next phase, the closure of the spacecraft's nosecone, is underway in preparation for re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.
Now nitrox will be injected into the spacesuits of the crew, which will allow them to stay comfortable in the heat as the spacecraft re-enters the atmosphere.
For reentry into Earth's atmosphere, the capsule will withstand temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, caused by the compression of gas and air particles against the surface of the spacecraft.
That is about 1,649 degrees Celsius.17m agoTue 18 Mar 2025 at 9:15pm
De-orbit burn underway
By Georgie Hewson
The De-orbit burn is now underway and will go for about 7.5 minutes.
The De-orbit Burn places the Dragon spacecraft on a precise trajectory to return to the splashdown zone in the Gulf of Meixco, off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, at approximately 7:57 am AEST.
The Dragon has not yet entered the Earth's atmosphere. This is the last burn the aircraft executes and is what really locks it in for the precise landing.
Dragon is currently flying itself so all the crew has to do is stay strapped in for now.20m agoTue 18 Mar 2025 at 9:12pm
The trunk has been separated from the Capsule
By Georgie Hewson
We just heard the trunk has been jettisoned from the Dragon Capsule.
The claw, which is the mechanism that connects the telemetry and power between the Dragon capsule and the trunk in order to expose the heat shield underneath the dragon, has been separated.
Basically, it means the nitrox system is primed for cabin and suit pulling and the heat shield is now exposed and ready for re-entry.
The trunk served its purpose by gathering energy from the sun and converting that to battery power.
Since the trunk is separated, the spacecraft can't make any new power but it isn't needed as it is headed back to Earth.
Next up is the de-orbit sequence.25m agoTue 18 Mar 2025 at 9:07pm
In pictures: SpaceX Crew-9 heads back to earth
By Georgie Hewson
The Dragon capsule after it undocked from the ISS
The Dragon capsule after it undocked from the ISS (Reuters)
Crew members onboard as the capsule began its orbit
Crew members onboard as the capsule began its orbit (Reuters)
NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov and NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams
NASA astronaut Butch Wilmore, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov and NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Suni Williams (Reuters)30m agoTue 18 Mar 2025 at 9:02pm
De-orbit sequence to start in five minutes
By Georgie Hewson
We just heard the call-out from SpaceX ground crews for the de-orbit sequence to begin in five minutes to commander Nick Hague who is onboard the Dragon Capsule.
The weather is being described as "pristine" at the splashdown site.32m agoTue 18 Mar 2025 at 9:00pm
Preparations underway for landing
By Georgie Hewson
The NASA livestream has begun and we're hearing a little more about what is happening.
Right now, onboard the Dragon Capsule, the crew has kicked off preparations for re-entry including getting in their suits and conducting a leak-check.38m agoTue 18 Mar 2025 at 8:54pm
What will happen this morning?
By Georgie Hewson
Undocking a shuttle from the International Space Station and then firing it back down to Earth is no simple task.
There are several steps that will be taken this morning to ensure the safe landing of the Dragon capsule.
By 7:06am AEST today, the Dragon shuttle is expected to jettison its trunk to reduce the spacecraft's weight prior to deborbiting.
Minutes later, Dragon will begin to deborbit and re-enter Earth's atmosphere with another planned burn that should last up to 12 minutes. During this time, the shuttle will experience "significant heating and drag" and also close its top nose cone hatch, SpaceX says.
By about 7:53am AEST, Dragon's "drogue parachutes" will deploy at about 18,000 feet (5,486 metres) from Earth's surface, followed by a deployment of the spacecraft's main parachutes at about 6,500 feet (1,981m).
Dragon's planned splashdown time is expected to be 7:57am AEST at a speed of about 25 feet (7.62m) per second off the coast of Florida.43m agoTue 18 Mar 2025 at 8:49pm
A smooth undocking, with the ISS left 'in great hands'
By Georgie Hewson
The SpaceX Dragonh capsule undocked from the Space Station right on time yesterday at 3:05pm AEST.
After the SpaceX craft carried off its first departure burn, the first words radioed back to the ISS from the crew on board the Dragon shuttle were heard.
"On behalf of crew I'd like to say it was a privilege to call space our home, to live and work and be part of a mission and a team that spans the globe working together in cooperating for the benefit of humanity," mission commander Nick Hague said.
"We know the station is in great hands, we're excited to see what you guys are going to accomplish and we'll be waiting for you.
"Crew 9 is going home."
In case you missed it, here is the video of the moment the capsule separated from the ISS.50m agoTue 18 Mar 2025 at 8:42pm
Watch NASA's livestream with us
By Georgie Hewson
NASA has begun livestreaming in the lead-up to the Dragon Capsules Re-entry to the atmosphere and splashdown.
Watch it here:1h agoTue 18 Mar 2025 at 8:05pm
Good morning!
By Georgie Hewson
Good morning and welcome to today's live coverage of NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 Re-entry and splashdown,
Yesterday, NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams departed the International Space Station in a SpaceX capsule for a long-awaited trip back to Earth, nine months after their faulty Boeing BA.N Starliner craft up-ended what was to be an eight-day-long test mission.
Mr Wilmore and Ms Williams, two veteran NASA astronauts and retired US Navy test pilots, strapped inside their Crew Dragon spacecraft alongside two other astronauts and undocked from the orbiting laboratory at 1:05am US Eastern Time ET (3:05pm AEST Tuesday).
The four-person crew is currently on a 17-hour trip back to Earth and are scheduled for a splashdown off the coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico at 7:57am AEST today.
We will bring you all the updates from the de-orbit burn and splashdown this morning.