A Japanese billionaire and 2 colleagues will return to Earth from the International Space Station on Sunday (Dec. 19), and you can enjoy the whole thing live.A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying Yusaku Maezawa, along with spaceflight participant (and video producer) Yozo Hirano and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, is arranged to touch down on the steppes of Kazakhstan Sunday at 10:18 p.m. EST (0318 GMT on Dec. 20). You can see the departure procedure from the International Station (ISS)– which will kick off with the closing of the hatches in between the Soyuz and station around 3:30 p.m. EST (1830 GMT)– in the window below and on Space.coms homepage, courtesy of NASA, or directly by means of the space agency. Here are the turning points to expect: Photos: The first space tourists3 p.m. EST/ 2000 GMT– NASA TV protection begins for hatch closing at 3:32 p.m. EST (2032 GMT) 6:30 p.m. EST/ 2300 GMT– NASA television coverage begins for undocking at 6:54 p.m. EST (2354 GMT) 9 p.m. EST/ 0200 GMT Dec. 20– NASA TV coverage begins for deorbit and landing. Landing is targeted for 10:18 p.m. EST/ 0318 GMT Dec. 20. The crew will be returning from almost 12 days aboard the ISS. Their objective was Misurkins third spaceflight and the first for both Maezawa and Hirano, who organized their trip by means of the Virginia company Space Adventures. (Maezawa spent for both his and Hiranos seats.) Its the very first ISS mission that Space Adventures has actually organized given that 2009. In between 2001 and 2009, the business assisted send out 7 paying customers on eight trips to the orbiting lab. (One individual flew two times.) Billionaire entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa (left), cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin (center) and video manufacturer Yozo Hirano (ideal) launched to the International Space Station on Dec. 8, 2021. They will go back to Earth late Dec. 19. (Image credit: CPK/Roscosmos) Hirano has been documenting his and Maezawas off-Earth experience and carrying out health and efficiency research study, contributing to the small database of info offered for non-professional astronauts.Maezawa also plans to make a round-the-moon trip aboard SpaceXs Starship vehicle. That mission is anticipated to launch no earlier than 2023. Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook..
A Japanese billionaire and two associates will return to Earth from the International Space Station on Sunday (Dec. 19), and you can see the whole thing live.A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying Yusaku Maezawa, along with spaceflight participant (and video producer) Yozo Hirano and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, is scheduled to touch down on the steppes of Kazakhstan Sunday at 10:18 p.m. EST (0318 GMT on Dec. 20). You can view the departure procedure from the International Station (ISS)– which will kick off with the closing of the hatches in between the Soyuz and station around 3:30 p.m. EST (1830 GMT)– in the window below and on Space.coms homepage, courtesy of NASA, or straight through the area agency. Here are the turning points to enjoy for: Photos: The first area tourists3 p.m. EST/ 2000 GMT– NASA TV protection starts for hatch closing at 3:32 p.m. EST (2032 GMT) 6:30 p.m. EST/ 2300 GMT– NASA TV protection starts for undocking at 6:54 p.m. EST (2354 GMT) 9 p.m. EST/ 0200 GMT Dec. 20– NASA TV protection starts for deorbit and landing.