Sunita Williams, Butch Wilmore and Nick Hague are “packing up and closing the hatches” in preparation for their much-awaited return to Earth, NASA posted on its X handle late night on March 17. Crew-9 is set to come back home on March 18 after Crew-10 reached the International Space Station earlier. Cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov is also part of Crew-9 coming back in a SpaceX Dragon capsule.
NASA live stream on Sunita Williams
NASA is live-streaming to undocking and the splashdown. Sharing information about it, NASA posted, “NASA_Astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are packing up and closing the hatches as #Crew9 prepares to depart from the Space_Station.”
“Crew-9 is scheduled to return to Earth on Tuesday, March 18.”
LIVE: @NASA_Astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are packing up and closing the hatches as #Crew9 prepares to depart from the @Space_Station. Crew-9 is scheduled to return to Earth on Tuesday, March 18. https://t.co/TpRlvLBVU1
— NASA (@NASA) March 18, 2025
The International Space Station X handle posted that the hatch was closed at 11:05 pm and the undocking was scheduled to begin at 1:05 am on Tuesday.
“The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft’s hatch was closed at 11:05pm ET today. Next, the Commercial_Crew quartet will undock from the station at 1:05 am on Tuesday live on NASA+.”
The @SpaceX Dragon spacecraft’s hatch was closed at 11:05pm ET today. Next, the @Commercial_Crew quartet will undock from the station at 1:05am on Tuesday live on @NASA+. https://t.co/OExvNYs5cg
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) March 18, 2025
Meanwhile, astronaut Nick Hague, who is accompanying Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, shared a heartfelt note before departing.
“It’s been a privilege to call the Space_Station home, to play my part in its 25-year legacy of doing research for humanity, and to work with colleagues, now friends, from around the globe. My spaceflight career, like most, is full of the unexpected.”
It’s been a privilege to call the @Space_Station home, to play my part in its 25-year legacy of doing research for humanity, and to work with colleagues, now friends, from around the globe. My spaceflight career, like most, is full of the unexpected. pic.twitter.com/80jJ0Zn1sM
— Nick Hague (@AstroHague) March 17, 2025