NASA Sets Coverage for Astronaut Jonny Kim and Crewmates’ Return from Space
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, is preparing to leave the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft. The crew will return to Earth after completing their mission in space. NASA sets coverage for this event, providing live broadcasts of the crew’s departure and landing.
The Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft will undock from the station’s Prichal module at 8:41 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Monday, December 8. The crew is scheduled to land with parachute assistance at 12:04 a.m. on Tuesday, December 9. The landing site is located on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the city of Dzhezkazgan. This marks the end of a 245-day mission during which the crew orbited Earth 3,920 times and traveled nearly 104 million miles.
Details of NASA Sets Coverage for the Crew’s Return
NASA’s live coverage of the return will be available on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Viewers can learn how to stream NASA content through various online platforms, including social media. The coverage schedule is as follows, with all times in Eastern Standard Time and subject to change based on real-time operations:
On Sunday, December 7, at 10:30 a.m., the space station change of command ceremony will begin. This event will be broadcast on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube. During the ceremony, Sergey Ryzhikov will hand over command of the station to NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, marking the start of Expedition 74, which coincides with the Soyuz MS-27 undocking.
On Monday, December 8, coverage will begin at 4:45 p.m. with farewells and hatch closing. The hatch closing itself is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. Later, at 8:15 p.m., coverage of the undocking will start, leading up to the actual undocking at 8:41 p.m. Following that, at 10:30 p.m., NASA will cover the deorbit and landing phases, including the deorbit burn at 11:10 p.m.
The landing is planned for 12:04 a.m. on Tuesday, December 9, in Kazakhstan. After landing, the crew will be transported by helicopter to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where recovery teams are stationed. Jonny Kim will then board a NASA aircraft to return to Houston, Texas. Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky will travel to their training base in Star City, Russia.
Mission Highlights and the Importance of the International Space Station
This mission was the first spaceflight for astronauts Jonny Kim and Alexey Zubritsky, while Sergey Ryzhikov completed his third trip to space. Over the course of their 245-day mission, the crew contributed to ongoing scientific research and operations aboard the International Space Station.
For more than 25 years, the International Space Station has been continuously inhabited, serving as a vital platform for scientific discovery and research that cannot be conducted on Earth. The station plays a crucial role in helping NASA understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight. It also supports the growth of commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit.
As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation and developing destinations in low Earth orbit, NASA is directing its resources toward deep space missions. These efforts include the Artemis campaign, which aims to return humans to the Moon and prepare for future missions to Mars.
To learn more about the International Space Station’s research and operations, visit NASA’s official website at https://www.nasa.gov/station.
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Source: original article.