Breaking News from Space! NASA is gearing up to bring its Crew-11 mission back home, and you won't want to miss a moment of the action. This mission, a collaboration with SpaceX, is set to return from the International Space Station, and the whole event will be broadcast live. But here's the exciting part: the undocking of the spacecraft is targeted for no earlier than 5:05 p.m. EST on Wednesday, January 14th, with the splashdown planned for 3:41 a.m. PST on Thursday, January 15th, off the coast of California.
This mission is a bit different because of a medical situation involving one of the crew members. NASA decided to bring the team back to Earth sooner than originally planned. It's important to note that due to medical privacy, NASA can't share specifics about the crew member's condition.
On board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft are NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov.
Mission controllers are carefully monitoring all conditions. The exact timing of the undocking and splashdown depends on several factors, including the readiness of the spacecraft and the recovery teams, as well as the weather and sea conditions.
Want to watch? NASA will be providing live coverage of the return and related activities on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and its YouTube channel. You can find out how to stream NASA content on various online platforms, including social media.
Here's the schedule (all times are Eastern and subject to change):
Wednesday, January 14
- 3 p.m. – Hatch closure coverage begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
- 3:30 p.m. – Hatch closing
- 4:45 p.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
- 5:05 p.m. – Undocking
After undocking, NASA will share audio-only communications between Crew-11, the space station, and flight controllers.
Thursday, January 15
- 2:15 a.m. – Return coverage begins on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
- 2:51 a.m. – Deorbit burn
- 3:41 a.m. – Splashdown
- 5:45 a.m. – NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman will lead a Return to Earth news conference streaming live on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel.
Controversy & Comment Hooks: What do you think about the decision to bring the crew back early? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
For more details on the mission, visit the NASA Commercial Crew website.
