NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev are approaching the conclusion of their remarkable 241-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The crew and their Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft undocked from the ISS’s Rusvet module at 3:02 a.m. EDT on Sunday, July 26. They are on course for a safe assisted parachute landing in the Kazakh steppe, southeast of Zhezkazgan, at 6:26 a.m. (3:26 p.m. local time).
Tune in to NASA’s live homecoming coverage streamed across multiple platforms. Find out where to watch online:
During their mission, Williams and his crew will have completed 3,856 orbits and traveled over 102 million miles before a successful return to Earth. This mission marks the first spaceflight for both Williams and Mikhaev, while it is the second for Kud-Sverchkov.
Upon landing, the crew will take a helicopter ride to Karaganda, Kazakhstan, where their recovery team is located. Williams will then head back to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, while Kud-Sverchkov and Mikayev will return to their training base in Star City, Russia.
NASA’s live broadcast return timeline (all times are Eastern and may change based on real-time operations) is as follows:
Saturday, July 25
9:40 a.m. – Coverage begins for the change of command ceremony for the 74th/75th Space Station Expedition.
Kud-Sverchkov will transfer command of the orbital complex to NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. Expedition 75 officially commences when Soyuz MS-28 undocks.
11:10 p.m. – Coverage begins for crew farewell and hatch closure.
11:30 p.m. – Hatches are closed.
Sunday, July 26
2:30 a.m. – Coverage for undocking begins.
3:02 a.m. – Undocking occurs.
5:15 a.m. – Coverage for deorbit and landing begins.
5:32 a.m. – Deorbit burn.
6:26 a.m. – Successful landing.
For over 25 years, the International Space Station has been home to a continuous human presence, significantly advancing scientific knowledge and facilitating research that would be impossible on Earth. The ISS is vital for NASA’s understanding of human spaceflight challenges, expanding commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit, and laying the groundwork for future long-duration missions to the Moon and Mars as part of the Artemis program.
Discover more about the International Space Station’s research, operations, and crew below.
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Joshua Finch / Jimi Russell
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
[email protected] / [email protected]
Leah Cheshire / Anna Schneider
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
[email protected] / [email protected]
Source: www.nasa.gov