NASA is gearing up to broadcast the picturesque conclusion of the Crew-12 mission as astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, and Andrey Fedyaev prepare to return to Earth after an extended stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to splash down on October 7, with the entire event set to be available for global online viewing.
Undocking from the ISS and Journey Home
The undocking of the Crew Dragon spacecraft from the ISS is anticipated on October 7, around 8:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), weather permitting. This marks the beginning of the journey home for the four crew members: American astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The spacecraft is projected to splash down in the ocean off the coast of California approximately at 11:34 AM EDT on October 8.
Where to Watch the Crew’s Return
NASA will provide comprehensive coverage of the event across multiple platforms, detailing all critical phases from hatch closure and undocking to the return journey and splashdown. While acknowledging that weather conditions at the landing site may necessitate schedule adjustments, NASA emphasizes its continuous monitoring of all parameters to ensure a safe mission completion.
- Wednesday, October 7:
- 6:00 AM EDT – Hatch Closure Broadcast Begins.
- 6:20 AM EDT – Hatch Closure.
- 7:45 AM EDT – Undocking Broadcast Begins.
- 8:05 AM EDT – Undocking from the ISS.
- Following undocking, NASA will provide audio commentary between the crew, station, and mission control.
- Thursday, October 8:
- 10:20 AM EDT – Return Broadcast Begins.
- 10:46 AM EDT – Deorbit Burn.
- 11:34 AM EDT – Splashdown.
- 1:15 PM EDT – Post-return briefing for Crew-12 and SpaceX Commercial Resupply Services-35 launch.
Media representatives interested in participating in the teleconference are advised to contact NASA Johnson’s Public Affairs Office via email at jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov or by phone at 281-483-5111 by 12:00 PM EDT on October 8. To ask questions, participants must join the call no later than 10 minutes before its commencement.
