SpaceX launched their 41st mission of 2025 this evening from Cape Canaveral when the company sent the Starlink 6-78 mission to low Earth orbit aboard Falcon 9. Liftoff was at 11:07 PM EDT and into clear but hazy skies skies on a seasonal night here on the Space Coast.
What a long, strange trip it’s been: Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams finally concluded their never-ending story of Boeing’s Crewed Flight Test of Starliner yesterday when they landed in a SpaceX Crew Dragon in the Gulf of America near Tallahassee, Florida. Also aboard were NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, with the four of them designated as Crew 9 on ISS Expedition 71/72.
After a nominal re-entry, the four landed at 5:57 p.m. EDT. Recovery teams on SpaceX vessels secured the spacecraft and assisted the crew while being circled by curious dolphins. Following their arrival on shore, the astronauts began the return procedures: extensive medical checks followed by travel to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for debriefings and reunions with their families.
Boeing’s Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission was as an 8-10 day demonstration flight for Starliner to validate its capabilities in transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station. However, technical concerns, including issues with the spacecraft’s propulsion system, led NASA to opt for an uncrewed return of Starliner to conduct further testing and modifications before operational flights could commence.
For their part, Boeing disagreed with the decision, with the company arguing internally with NASA that Starliner was safe to ferry Williams and Williams back to Earth as planned. That was not to be, as NASA decided to fold the pair into Expedition 71/72 on ISS, and to bump two of the astronauts designated for Crew 9 — NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson — from the mission.
Starliner would eventually return to Earth uncrewed in September, 2024, safely completing its mission via remote control and on-board programming.
During their missions, Williams and Wilmore traveled 121,347,491 miles, spent 286 days in space, and completed 4,576 Earth orbits. Hague and Gorbunov covered 72,553,920 miles, remained in orbit for 171 days, and completed 2,736 orbits. This mission marked Gorbunov’s first spaceflight. Hague has accumulated 374 days in space across two missions, Williams 608 days over three missions, and Wilmore 464 days across three flights.
Due to the unexpected long-term mission, Williams is now in second place for time spent in space by a female astronaut. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson has accumulated a total of 675 days in space across multiple missions, making her the most experienced astronaut in terms of cumulative days, a record that Whitson will add to she commands the private Axiom Ax-4 mission to ISS later this year.
Crew-9’s mission included scientific research, maintenance operations, and technology demonstrations. Williams performed two spacewalks, partnering with Wilmore and Hague to remove a radio frequency antenna, collect external surface samples, and install protective patches on an X-ray telescope’s light filters. Williams set a new record for cumulative spacewalking time by a female astronaut, logging 62 hours and 6 minutes outside the station.
The crew conducted over 150 scientific studies and technology tests, dedicating more than 900 hours to research. Their work included plant growth experiments, stem cell technology investigations for treating blood disorders and cancer, and evaluations of circadian rhythm-supporting lighting systems. They also launched the first wooden satellite and studied microorganism survival in space by analyzing external samples from the station.
The mission marked the fourth flight of the Dragon spacecraft named Freedom, previously used for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 and Axiom Missions 2 and 3. Following retrieval, the spacecraft will undergo inspections and refurbishments at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in preparation for future missions.
Crew-9’s comes shortly after the launch and docking at ISS of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10, which completed the Crew 9 rotation. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers; JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will now spend several months aboard Station, and will advance the scientific and engineering work planned for their stay.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will be returning to Earth this afternoon aboard Crew 9 after spending some 286 days in space. They and the two other Crew 9 astronauts, Nick Hague and Alexandr Grubonov will begin their fiery descent at around 5:11 PM ET, with a planned touchdown coming some forty-six minutes later at 5:57 PM ET.
NASA said this morning that Crew Dragon will splash down in the Gulf of America, relatively near Tallahassee, Florida.
Afterwards, SpaceX will begin recovery efforts on the capsule, leading to the astronauts and cosmonaut exiting Crew Dragon once it is brought aboard SpaceX’s recovery vessel at sea.
As first reported on LiveScience.com, one thing that may surprise casual viewers tuning in to see Wilmore and Williams exit the Crew Dragon capsule is the likelihood that they will be carried in stretchers after leaving the spacecraft. The same may happen with Crew 9 commander Nick Hague and Mission Specialist Alexandr Aleksandr Vladimirovich Gurbonov as well. Both Hague and Gurbonov will have spent 171 days in space when they return to Earth this afternoon.
Talk of Titusville asked NASA for more information, and they replied:
As part of standard procedures, all International Space Station astronauts are placed, or seated, on a mobility aid by recovery teams to assist the crew members returning to Earth’s gravity after several months in space.
After completing medical checks, astronauts are transferred to a waiting helicopter and are taken to a waiting NASA aircraft to return to Houston to be reunited with their friends and families. Then begins the process of post-medical evaluations and reclamation to Earth’s gravity environment.
This process differs for each individual, typically lasting several months, as the longer an astronaut spends in space, the more difficult it is to readapt to gravity. Astronauts returning to Earth after living aboard the space station for extended durations have exhibited balance control problems, muscle weakness, and cardiovascular deconditioning.
NASA’s Human Research Program continues to innovate and pursue the best methods and technologies to keep astronauts healthy during their missions and when they return home. The International Space Station is helping prepare humans for future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars, including the exercise needed to address the challenges of living and working in microgravity for extended periods of time.
You can view the process during the recovery of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, beginning at approximately 1:53:00 into the broadcast.
NASA, March 18, 2025
Typically, astronauts aboard the station dedicate two hours daily to exercise in order to counteract bone and muscle deterioration caused by weightlessness. Despite these efforts, Wilmore and Williams will undergo intensive rehabilitation in the coming weeks and months as their bodies readjust to the pull of gravity that almost all of us take for granted as part of our daily lives.
All four Crew 9 astronauts and cosmonaut will also receive extensive medical checks as part of the crew return procedure, and will also be greeted by family, friends and colleagues after their arrival in Texas.
Pending weather conditions at the splashdown sites, continuous coverage will resume on March 18 on NASA+ prior to the start of deorbit burn. As of the time of this writing, the schedule provided by NASA calls for:
The US Space Force announced today that it has suspended their “Trusted Traveler” program at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Patrick Space Force Base, both in Brevard County.
The Trusted Traveler program allows valid DoD ID card holders to enter a military base without the requirement for occupants of the same vehicle to present identification. There are other uses, like food delivery services, that have also benefitted from the now suspended program.
The Trusted Traveler program does not apply to restricted areas, airfields, heliports, or obviously, launch pads.
At this time, it is unknown how this will affect public access to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum’s exhibits at Launch Complex 26 and Hangar C, both of which are inside the security perimeter for CCSFS.
“The Trusted Traveler program has been suspended at Patrick SFB and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station until further notice. Any individuals WITHOUT a DoD-approved access credential (e.g. CAC, dependent ID, retiree ID) will be required to obtain a visitor pass, even when traveling with a DoD ID card holder. The Visitors Control Center is not manned on the weekends, so passes will only be processed at the East Gate.
-Members in housing who currently have family members visiting will be required to get visitor passes and all new visitors will require passes.
-Golfers with an annual base pass can no longer bring or sponsor additional visitors.
-Food delivery drivers who do not have base access will no longer be authorized on base. All food deliveries will be picked up at the East Gate.
-Event Bright tickets for launches will be terminated.
Although there are currently no known threats to the installations, we are taking this step to ensure the safety and security of our personnel, residents, and visitors. We encourage everyone accessing the base to be prepared for additional screening protocols. For more information and to learn how to obtain a visitor pass, please visit:
https://www.patrick.spaceforce.mil/Resources/Visitors-Control-Center/
Following the link to the Visitor Control Center page, some insight as to the reasoning of the DoD decision (this also affects other bases and other service branches) may be found:
As of Jan. 3, 2025, Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station will implement new base access security enhancements, and the Trusted Traveler Program will be suspended until further notice. All visitors will be required to obtain a base pass, even when traveling with a military ID card holder. This decision was made to ensure the safety and security of the personnel, residents, and visitors.
Given the terror attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas in recent days, the decision seems to be a prudent one for the time being. For official information, follow the link above or consult your command structure if you are a service member.
Views from the launch pad of Falcon 9 at Space Launch Complex 40. Later that night, when the engines that power the first stage were ignited, a problem was detected by the rocket’s computers and an instant shutdown and launch aboard were automatically triggered. Both rocket and payload are safe.
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 carrying the SXM-9 satellite for Sirius-XM today. Liftoff was at 11:10 AM EST from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center and into hazy but blue skies over Florida.
Around 8.25 minutes later, Falcon 9 booster B1076 touched down offshore on ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions’, successfully concluding its 19th mission. ‘Just Read The Instructions’ had been pre-positioned offshore downrange and will now return to Port Canaveral where B1076 will be returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X for inspection and, presumably, preparation for its 20th flight.
Nestled in the serene wooded andscape of Richloam, Florida, the Richloam General Store is a living time capsule of a bygone era.
Established in 1921, this charming establishment stands as one of the last surviving general stores in the state, offering visitors a unique glimpse into early 20th-century rural life. Today, it serves as both a functional general store and a historical site, drawing travelers and history enthusiasts alike.
Visiting was a last-second decision for me a couple of weeks ago, and the store was closed and no one was there. I figured that this would be a decent test for a Laowa 10mm lens I have.
SpaceX sent another batch of Starlink satellites to orbit this morning from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral. Liftoff was at 11:07 AM EST into seasonably cool (~65ºF) and crystal blue skies over Florida.
The cooler air over warmer water meant different air densities were mixing, creating perfect conditions for something I call “shimmer” but is more properly called “heat distortion.” Given that 8-9 miles is as close as almost anyone can view some launches (Starlink, especially) these are a real PITA for photographers. The stars twinkle in the night sky because of the same principles.
So, that meant taking the picture the situation allows. This is about as good a launch photo as anyone got from this launch location.
A timelapse of sunset from last night here on the Space Coast:
Merritt Island-based Interstellar Labs was awarded the Grand Prize and $750,000 for its entry into NASA and the Canadian Space Agency’s “Deep Space Food Challenge,” in which competitors created unique food production technologies for long-duration crewed exploration missions.
In a release announcing the reward, Angela Herblet, Centennial Challenges Challenge Manager at NASA, and the manager for the Deep Space Food Challenge at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, said, “The Deep Space Food Challenge could serve as the framework for providing astronauts with healthy and delicious food using sustainable mechanisms. The challenge has brought together innovative and driven individuals from around the world who are passionate about creating new solutions that support our agency’s future Moon to Mars missions.”
Previously: NASA and Canadian Space Agency’s “Deep Space Food Challenge” Enters Final Phase of Competition
NASA and the Canadian Space Agency conducted the competition for companies to provide nutritious and tasty food for astronauts on long-term missions. The competition was narrowed to five finalists on the American side, with three additional internationally-based competitors rounding out the field. Called the Deep Space Food Challenge, the goal of this competition was to generate novel food production technologies or systems that require minimal resources and produce minimal waste while creating items or cuisine that are actually appealing to the crew.
The challenge concluded at the Deep Space Food Symposium, a two-day networking and learning summit at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center in Coloumbus, Ohio on August 15th and 16th this year.
Throughout the event, attendees met the Phase 3 finalists, witnessed demonstrations of the food production technologies, and attended panels featuring experts from NASA, government, industry, and academia. The winners of the challenge were announced at an awards ceremony at the end of the symposium.
Led by Interstellar’s Labs Founder and CEO, Barbara Belvisi, the small business combined several autonomous phytotrons and environment-controlled greenhouses to support a growth system involving a self-sustaining food production mechanism that generates fresh vegetables, microgreens, and insects necessary for micronutrients.
Previously: Interstellar Lab Plans To Grow Roses On The Moon
Two other American and one international competitor were also awarded prizes: Nolux of Riverside, California, and SATED of Boulder, Colorado, each received $250,000 for their entries, and Solar Foods of Lappeenranta, Finland, also won an award.
“Congratulations to the winners and all the finalist teams for their many years dedicated to innovating solutions for the Deep Space Food Challenge,” said Amy Kaminski, program executive for NASA’s Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “These food production technologies could change the future of food accessibility on other worlds and our home planet.”
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