SpaceX Crew-11 Prepares for Undocking from NASA Station Wednesday
The upcoming undocking of SpaceX Crew-11 from the NASA International Space Station (ISS) is set for Wednesday. This event involves a team comprised of NASA astronauts, a JAXA astronaut, and a Roscosmos cosmonaut preparing to return to Earth.
Mission Overview: SpaceX Crew-11
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke are joined by JAXA’s Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos’ Oleg Platonov for the SpaceX mission. This crew is set to undock from the ISS’s Harmony module at 5:05 p.m. EST on Wednesday.
Crew Preparations
- On Tuesday, the crew focused on various tasks, including cargo packing and reviewing return protocols.
- Cardman, acting as captain, led the training exercises on emergency procedures, including ammonia leaks.
- Emergency equipment was transferred from the Dragon spacecraft to the space station.
- Fincke and Yui collaborated to uninstall science hardware and load it into Dragon.
Throughout the day, all four astronauts prepared for their return by discussing mission readiness and practicing deorbit procedures.
Future of Expedition 74
After Crew-11 departs, three crew members will remain on the ISS. Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov will command Expedition 74, supported by Flight Engineers Sergei Mikaev and Chris Williams.
- Kud-Sverchkov and Mikaev participated in a decision-making assessment for crew dynamics in space.
- Kud-Sverchkov also took part in a blood pressure study and completed a treadmill fitness test.
- Mikaev inventoried cargo within the Roscosmos segment of the ISS.
Live Coverage and Splashdown
NASA will provide extensive coverage of this event. Key times to note are:
- 3:00 p.m. EST – Crew enters Dragon, bids farewell, and closes the hatch.
- 4:45 p.m. EST – Undocking coverage begins.
- 2:15 a.m. EST (Thursday) – Dragon’s descent to Earth.
- 5:45 a.m. EST (Thursday) – Post-splashdown news conference.
The splashdown in the ocean off California is expected at 3:41 a.m. EST on Thursday. Viewers can follow all activities through NASA+, Amazon Prime, or NASA’s YouTube channel.
Stay updated on ISS activities by visiting the space station blog and following the official social media accounts.
