NASA-SpaceX Dragon splashdown: Live updates on Sunita Williams's return

All four Crew-9 astronauts aboard the Dragon have exited the capsule and are currently undergoing medical check-ups. After initial evaluations, the crew will transported by an airplace to a NASA facility for further medical tests and debriefings. After that, they will be taken to Houston for a 45-day rehabilitation program.

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Crew-9 astronauts, including Sunita Williams, have started exiting the Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX members onboard the recovery vessel are assisting the astronauts to egress the capsule. Astronauts will undergo immediate medical assessments on the recovery ship to check for any signs of space adaptation sickness or dehydration.

SpaceX Dragon has successfully landed on Earth and the spacecraft has been hoisted onto the recovery vessel. The hatch will soon be opened, and medical personnel will assist the astronauts as they adjust to gravity after their extended stay at the ISS.

Dragon has safely and successfully splashed down in Altlantic Ocean, marking the return of Sunita Williams and others from the International Space Station.

Larger main parachutes have been deployed to further reduce the descent rate for a gentle splashdown.

Dragon has entered Earth's orbit and has deployed smaller drogue parachutes deploy to stabilize and slow the capsule.

The Dragon spacecraft, upon its re-entry into Earth's orbit, will experience a 'Loss of Signal' (LOS) phase. As Dragon plunges back into Earth's atmosphere, the superheated plasma sheath that forms around the capsule due to friction can interfere with radio waves, blocking communication signals. Once the conditions that caused the signal loss subside, communication is re-established.

In approximately 30 minutes, SpaceX's Dragon will splash down in the Atlantic, safely returning Sunita Williams and crew after roughly 287 days on the International Space Station. The 17-hour journey follows a precise deorbit burn, a gentler descent than Russian Soyuz's ballistic approach, which takes about 3.5 hours. This controlled reentry minimizes heat before parachute deployment, ensuring a safe splashdown. Dragon can also delay reentry for favorable weather at the landing site.

Dragon's deorbit burn is completed and is expected to splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean in about 34 minutes, as per the latest update from SpaceX.

If Dragon's deorbit burn goes as per plan, the capsule will open its parachutes for a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. This is expected to happen at around 5:57 pm EDT (4:27 am IST on Wednesday). The timestamp may change in case the weather conditions at the splashdown site are unfavorable.

SpaceX's Dragon capsule, carrying Sunita Williams and other astronauts of Crew-9 mission, are expected to return to Earth in the next 8-9 hours. The next major milestone for Dragon is deorbit burn scheduled at around 5:11pm EDT (3:41 am IST on Wednesday). A deorbit burn is a controlled engine firing by a spacecraft to reduce its speed and lower its orbit, initiating reentry into Earth's atmosphere.

NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Sunita Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbuno are onboard Dragon. They are part of ISS Crew-9 and are returning home after Dragon's recent Crew-10 mission enabled their return. Williams and Wilmore reached ISS in June 2024 and have been at the ISS for 286 days. Hague and Gorbuno reached much later in September 2024.

At the moment, SpaceX's Dragon capsule is refining its path and performing various system checks to prepare for the deorbit burn on early Wednesday. You can watch the spacecraft in space via NASA's live video feed from the International Space Station. NASA is also offering a real-time audio coverage, giving updates every few minutes.

Earlier today, at 10:35am, SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying Sunita Williams and other astronauts successfully undocked from the International Space Station (ISS). The capsule is currently in space and making its way toward Earth.