Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore latest: Splashdown! Astronauts back on Earth after months unexpectedly stuck in space
Splashdown!
They're home!
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams - in the Dragon Freedom capsule - have just hit the water just off Tallahassee, Florida.
"Splashdown - crew nine back on earth," the control room says.
"On behalf of SpaceX, welcome home."
"What a ride," we hear from the capsule in response.
It's a very calm ocean, but it will now take around an hour for the astronauts to be fished out and before they can touch dry land again.
Parachutes deployed - splashdown imminent
We've just heard from SpaceX that the two sets of parachutes have been deployed successfully.
First to go are the two drogue parachutes - also called drag chutes - which are designed for deployment from a rapidly moving object.
Shortly after, four main parachutes deploy.
This is all done automatically by the craft when it detects certain velocities and altitudes.
That now means we're just a couple of minutes away from splashdown.
First sight of the capsule - as crew back in contact
Here's a first view of the Dragon capsule from below...
Mission control has now been able to contact the crew again after a brief communications blackout.
Parachutes next...
Prayers for Suni Williams in her ancestral village
A reminder of what this means for people on the ground who have been missing the astronauts.
In Jhulasan, India, the ancestral village of Sunita Williams people have been praying in the last few hours for her safe return.
Williams is American but of Indian origin.
The prayers are taking place at a temple.
'See you on the other side': Capsule in communications blackout
For the next few minutes, we'll have a "loss of signal" from the Dragon capsule.
That means all communications will drop for a short period of time.
The loss of signal is caused because, as the Dragon wades through the Earth's atmosphere, plasma builds up around the heat shield of the capsule, blocking signals.
"See you on the other side," the control room tells the crew.
Just joining us?
Here's where we are.
Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are almost home after nine months stuck in space.
The Dragon capsule is carrying them back - and everything is going to plan so far.
The nose cone has just closed and everything is "nominal".
We'll next experience a "loss of signal" as the capsule makes its way through the Earth's atmosphere - meaning all communications will drop for a short period of time.
We'll be able to hear from the crew once again at around 21.51 when signal is re-established.
After they've cleared the atmosphere, the parachutes will deploy to slow it down before we finally have our splashdown moment at 21.57.
They'll land in waters just off Tallahassee, Florida.
Nose cone closed - descent continues
The nose cone has now closed - and everything is "nominal" in the Dragon capsule.
The crew are about to make their way through the Earth's atmosphere.
What's next?
Once they clear the atmosphere, next up is the parachute deployment - to slow the capsule down so it can splashdown without breaking up.
First to go will be the two drogue parachutes - also called drag chutes - which are designed for deployment from a rapidly moving object.
That will occur at about 21.53 UK time.
A minute later, four main parachutes deploy.
This is all done automatically by the craft when it detects certain velocities and altitudes.
Deorbit burn was successful
The nose cone is now being closed ready for re-entry.
Deorbit burn has started
It's expected to take seven minutes - with four thrusters at the top of the capsule firing.
The capsule has not yet re-entered the Earth's atmosphere.
This burn is to make sure the capsule lands where NASA and SpaceX want it to - off the coast of Florida.
The Dragon capsule is "flying itself", SpaceX say, with Crew 9 not having to do anything.
How long will it take to collect the astronauts from the water off Florida?
As we explained earlier, it's going to be around 10pm UK time - 9.57pm exactly - when the Dragon capsule splashes into the sea off of Florida.
The presenters of the NASA/SpaceX coverage have just explained it could take an hour to retrieve the astronauts from the capsule in the water later.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
12 hours ago
- Reuters
FAA says probe closed into SpaceX Starship Flight 8
WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday it closed an agency-required investigation into a SpaceX Starship Flight 8 mishap, citing the probable cause as a hardware failure in one of the engines. SpaceX identified eight corrective actions to prevent a re-occurrence and the FAA said it verified SpaceX implemented those prior to the Starship Flight 9 mission in late May.
Reuters
13 hours ago
- Reuters
Exclusive: After Trump feud, role of Musk's SpaceX in Golden Dome missile shield in question
WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - The role of Elon Musk's SpaceX in an ambitious new U.S. missile defense system is in question following the dramatic feud last week between the billionaire entrepreneur and President Donald Trump, according to three people familiar with the project. The White House until recently had considered a plan for SpaceX, Musk's rocket and satellite venture, to partner with software maker Palantir (PLTR.O), opens new tab and drone builder Anduril to construct crucial elements of the project, dubbed "Golden Dome." The administration had instructed the Pentagon to prioritize a network of satellites for the purpose, these people said. But a new framework for the system, which would seek to track and prevent possible missile attacks against the United States, is now being considered that could reduce the role of SpaceX. One possibility, the three people said, could initially forego SpaceX's satellite capabilities and focus on the expansion of existing ground systems for missile defense instead. In a statement, a White House spokesman said "the Trump Administration is committed to a rigorous review process for all bids and contracts." A senior Defense Department official said the Pentagon "has no announcements regarding future contracts associated with the Golden Dome effort." SpaceX, Anduril and Palantir didn't respond to requests for comment. A reduced role for SpaceX would represent the first known setback to Musk's huge volume of business with the U.S. government since his break with Trump last week. The shift in plans, especially for a project that Trump has touted as paramount for U.S. defense strategy, also underscores the highly personalized nature of the president's leadership, aerospace and defense experts said. "That people guiding the program or building it are approved based on their political affiliation signals a real concern that the project itself is very politicized and not being conducted on the technical merits," said Laura Grego, a missile defense expert and research director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-profit based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In its statement to Reuters, the White House said any decision would be made "prioritizing the best deal for America and leveraging the most advanced and innovative technology." Trump in May said the defense shield should be operational by the end of his presidency, January 2029. But industry experts have said that timeframe, and a projected cost of some $175 billion, could be too optimistic. The change in the proposed "architecture" of the system, the three people said, could have the political advantage of allowing the current administration to deliver at least a portion of it. It isn't clear how soon a final decision on the project could come or whether the ultimate role of any company, including SpaceX, has been determined. Trump's efforts to roll out the project fast have led to uncertainty about the project's details and a scramble by contractors to be involved, industry experts and some of those involved in its development told Reuters. "To this day, no one knows what the requirements are," said one of the people familiar with the process. "There isn't a coordinated effort with a true vision. All of these companies are just grabbing at this pot of money." SpaceX, Anduril and Palantir were all founded by entrepreneurs who have been major political supporters of Trump. The three companies had previously met with top administration officials and decisionmakers from the Defense Department to discuss Golden Dome, according to people familiar with those discussions. Before his high-profile falling out with the president, Musk served as a key Trump advisor and donated more than a quarter of a billion dollars to help elect him. But the recent dispute, which included Musk calling for Trump's impeachment and accusing the president of improper involvement with disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, triggered the change in direction, the three people told Reuters. "Because of the blowup, the Pentagon has been given the space to look at other alternatives," one of the people said. In recent days, Musk has sought to temper the dispute, saying he regretted some of his comments and taking down some of his social media criticism of Trump, including the call for impeachment. Earlier this week, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump appreciated Musk's apology and that she was unaware of any administration efforts to review Musk contracts because of the dispute. Reuters couldn't determine whether Musk's conciliatory overtures might improve SpaceX's chances of winning Golden Dome contracts or securing further new business with the U.S. government. SpaceX had pitched for a part of the Golden Dome initiative called the "custody layer," a constellation of between 400 and 1,000 satellites that would detect missiles, track their trajectory, and determine if they are heading toward the U.S., Reuters reported in April. In a January 27 executive order, Trump mandated the selection of a proposed "architecture" for Golden Dome and an implementation plan by the end of March. The order called a missile attack "the most catastrophic threat facing the United States."
The Independent
19 hours ago
- The Independent
Space station leak concerns will delay visit by astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary
A chartered spaceflight for India, Poland and Hungary's first astronauts in decades has been delayed indefinitely because of leak concerns at the International Space Station. NASA said Thursday that it wants to monitor the cabin pressure on the Russian side of the orbiting lab before accepting visitors. Officials stressed that the seven astronauts currently at the space station are safe and that other operations up there aren't affected. SpaceX was supposed to launch four private astronauts this week on a 14-day space station mission, but bad weather and SpaceX rocket trouble delayed the flight. Then the station leak issue cropped up. The Russian Space Agency has been dealing with a cabin pressure leak at the station, and recent repairs resulted in what NASA calls 'a new pressure signature.' Additional details were not immediately available. The three Russians aboard the space station recently inspected the inside walls of the aging Zvezda service module, which was launched in 2000. They sealed some areas and measured the current leak rate. 'Following this effort, the segment now is holding pressure,' NASA said in an online update. The private mission's delay provides extra time for NASA and the Russian Space Agency 'to evaluate the situation' and determine whether more repairs are needed. The chartered flight was arranged by the Houston company Axiom Space, and was to be Axiom's fourth trip to the space station with paying customers since 2022. 'This is the right thing to do,' Axiom Space's executive chairman Kam Ghaffarian said in a written statement. 'We will continue to work with all of our partners to finalize a new launch date.' ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
