KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), March 19, 2025 – Astronauts on NASA’s ninth rotational SpaceX crew mission (Crew-9) splashed down off the Florida coast yesterday evening, ending their months-long science expedition onboard the International Space Station (ISSInternational Space Station). Over the course of the mission, the crew supported a variety of investigations sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory®, including research to improve treatments for neurodegenerative conditions, studies to manufacture more effective therapeutics in space, and student-led experiments to prepare the next generation of explorers. Returning crew members include NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, who are part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
During their expedition, the Crew-9 astronauts played a vital role in supporting the mission of the ISS National Lab by conducting dozens of investigations that aim to bring value to humanity and enable a robust economy in low Earth orbit(Abbreviation: LEO) The orbit around the Earth that extends up to an altitude of 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Earth’s surface. The International Space Station’s orbit is in LEO, at an altitude of approximately 250 miles.. Below are a few ISS National Lab-sponsored projects the astronauts worked on during their mission:
The ISS National Lab provides access and opportunity for researchers to leverage the unique space environment for the benefit of humanity and to enable commerce in space. To learn more about ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations that have flown on various NASA-funded commercial resupply services missions, please visit our missions and launches page .
Download a high-resolution image for this release: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 Returns