November 22, 2024

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 Astronauts Returning to Earth – Watch It Live

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour is pictured throughout its approach to the International Space Station less than one day after releasing from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts, Commander Shane Kimbrough and Pilot Megan McArthur with Mission Specialists Akihiko Hoshide and Thomas Pesquet, would sign up with the Expedition 65 crew quickly after docking Harmony modules forward-facing worldwide docking adapter. Credit: NASA
NASAs SpaceX Crew-2 objective now is targeting a return to Earth no earlier than 7:14 a.m. EST Monday, November 8, with a splashdown off the coast of Florida. The Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station at 1:05 p.m. Sunday, November 7, to start the journey house.
NASA will preview the mission on Saturday, November 6, and provide protection Sunday of the mission on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the companys site.
NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Aki Hoshide, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet will finish 199 days in space at the conclusion of their mission. The spacecraft likewise will return to Earth with about 530 pounds of hardware and clinical investigations.

Endeavour will undock autonomously and perform a fly around maneuver to photo the outside of the International Space Station. When the maneuver is completed, the Crew Dragon spacecraft will intend for a splashdown at one of seven targeted landing zones in the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida.
NASA SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts Akihiko Hoshide of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), left, Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency), and Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough of NASA take part in the Space Olympics onboard the International Space Station. Credit: ESA/NASA– T. Pesquet
NASA and SpaceX also have a backup undocking and splashdown opportunity offered Monday, November 8, if weather conditions are not beneficial for the main chance.
The NASA and SpaceX groups will determine a main and alternate splashdown place from the seven possible landing places prior to return, considering weather, crew rescue, and healing operations. Additional decision milestones happen prior to undocking, throughout totally free flight, and before Crew Dragon performs the deorbit burn.
NASA and SpaceX carefully coordinate with the U.S. Coast Guard to establish a security zone around the anticipated splashdown location to guarantee security for the public and for those included in the healing operations, as well as the crew aboard the returning spacecraft.
With Crew-2 splashdown Monday, November 8, NASAs SpaceX Crew-3 objective is targeting launch no earlier than 9:03 p.m. Wednesday, November 10, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. For this launch chance, the Crew Dragon Endurance is arranged to dock to the space station around 7:10 p.m. Thursday, November 11.
NASAs SpaceX Crew-2 return coverage is as follows:
Saturday, November 6
1:35 p.m. EDT– Change of command ceremony
5:30 p.m. EDT- Crew-2 return sneak peek rundown media teleconference with the following individuals:

Sunday, November 7
10:45 a.m. EST– Coverage begins for 11:10 a.m. hatch closure
12:45 p.m. EST– Coverage begins for 1:05 p.m. undocking (NASA will offer constant protection from undocking to splashdown).
Monday, November 8.
7:14 a.m. EST– Splashdown.
Crew-2 is the second of 6 NASA and SpaceX crewed missions to fly as part of the companys Commercial Crew Program, which is dealing with the U.S. aerospace market to release astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil.
NASAs Commercial Crew Program has provided on its goal of safe, dependable, and cost-efficient transport to and from the International Space Station from the U.S. through a partnership with American personal market. This partnership is changing the arc of human spaceflight history by opening access to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station to more individuals, more science, and more commercial opportunities. The area station stays the springboard to NASAs next excellent leap in area exploration, including future missions to the Moon and, eventually, to Mars.

Ven Feng, deputy manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston
Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station, NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston
Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX
JAXA Representative
ESA Representative

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour is pictured throughout its technique to the International Space Station less than one day after introducing from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA
NASAs Commercial Crew Program has actually provided on its objective of safe, trusted, and economical transportation to and from the International Space Station from the U.S. through a partnership with American personal industry. This collaboration is changing the arc of human spaceflight history by opening access to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station to more people, more science, and more commercial opportunities. The area station remains the springboard to NASAs next fantastic leap in area expedition, including future objectives to the Moon and, ultimately, to Mars.