After completing an extensive stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA’s SpaceX Crew-9 astronauts are set to discuss their scientific mission in a postflight news conference. This event will take place at 2:30 p.m. EDT on Monday, March 31, from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Following the news conference, the crew will be available for a limited number of individual interviews starting at 3:30 p.m.
The news conference will feature three NASA astronauts: Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore. They will share insights and experiences from their time in space. Notably, Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who returned to Earth alongside the NASA crew on March 18, will not participate in the news conference due to prior travel commitments.
Viewers can watch the live coverage of the news conference on NASA+. For additional viewing options, NASA offers a variety of platforms, including social media channels. Media representatives are invited to attend the event either in person or virtually. Those wishing to attend in person or request interviews with the crew must contact the NASA Johnson newsroom by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 28, via phone at 281-483-5111 or email at jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov.
Media members joining the call must dial in no later than 10 minutes before the event starts to ensure they can ask questions. Additionally, questions can be submitted through social media using the hashtag AskNASA.
Hague and Gorbunov launched into space at 1:17 p.m. on September 28, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The next day, they docked with the ISS at the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. Meanwhile, Williams and Wilmore launched on June 5, 2024, aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft via a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, arriving at the ISS on June 6.
During their time in orbit, Williams and Wilmore covered an impressive distance of 121,347,491 miles, spending a total of 286 days in space and completing 4,576 orbits around Earth. In comparison, Hague and Gorbunov traveled 72,553,920 miles, spent 171 days in space, and completed 2,736 orbits. Collectively, Hague, Williams, and Wilmore dedicated over 900 hours to research, conducting more than 150 unique experiments.
The crew's research included studies on plant growth and development, testing stem cell technology to enhance patient outcomes on Earth, and investigating how the space environment impacts material degradation. They also executed a spacewalk to collect samples from the ISS's exterior, focusing on the survivability of microorganisms in space. Furthermore, the crew participated in 30 ham radio events with students worldwide and conducted a genetic experiment led by students, aiming to inspire future generations of explorers.
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program has successfully fulfilled its mission to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station. Through partnerships with American private industry, this initiative is transforming the landscape of human spaceflight by broadening access to low Earth orbit and the ISS, allowing for more scientific research and commercial opportunities.
The ISS continues to serve as a pivotal platform for NASA’s ambitious goals in space exploration, paving the way for future missions to the Moon and ultimately to Mars. For more information on NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, visit NASA’s website.
For further inquiries, contact:
Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
NASA Headquarters, Washington
Phone: 202-358-1100
Email: joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
