It’s turned into an unusual mission for SpaceX’s Crew-11. Instead of remaining at the International Space Station (ISS) for the full duration of their mission, the four crew members are coming home a month early due to a medical issue with one of the astronauts.
Crew-11 departed the ISS on Wednesday afternoon and is due to splash down in the early hours of Thursday. Read on for full details on how to watch.
Keen to maintain privacy, NASA has declined to reveal both the astronaut’s identity and the medical issue that’s at the center of the early return.
NASA chief Jared Isaacman would only say that it’s a “serious medical condition” and that it was he who made the call to cut the mission short. NASA added that the astronaut’s condition is “stable.”
Crew-11 comprises Americans Michael Fincke and Zena Cardman, along with Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov. The four space travelers reached the space station in August last year and until last week had expected to stay until February.
All four appeared on camera on Monday for a change-of-command ceremony aboard the ISS.
They’re now aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon, gearing up for reentry into Earth’s atmosphere in the coming hours.
How to watch
NASA will livestream the last 90 minutes of Crew-11’s high-speed journey home.
Coverage will begin at 2:15 a.m. ET on Thursday, and you can watch it on NASA+, and the agency’s YouTube channel. You can also watch via the player embedded at the top of this page.
The broadcast will follow the Crew Dragon’s progress as it returns to terra firma. You’ll also get to hear the live communications between the crew and Mission Control.
Splashdown is targeted for 3:41 a.m. ET off the coast of California. The entire crew will then be transported back to land for full checks, with one particular astronaut certain to get some special attention.
Crew-11’s early departure leaves only three people aboard the ISS — one NASA astronaut and two Roscosmos cosmonauts. SpaceX’s Crew-12 is expected to arrive in mid-February, at which point the crew count will rise to a more typical seven.