Dragon Deorbit Burn Complete; Next Up, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Splashdown

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick is seen inside the SpaceX Dragon capsule as NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 crew members return to Earth on Oct. 25, 2024. Dragon is scheduled to splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, at 3:29 a.m. EDT.
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick is seen inside the SpaceX Dragon capsule as NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 crew members return to Earth on Oct. 25, 2024. Dragon is scheduled to splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, at 3:29 a.m. EDT. Photo credit: NASA+

After 236 days in space, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, are less than an hour away from returning to Earth on the agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft completed its deorbit burn as expected ahead of splashdown targeted for approximately 3:29 a.m. EDT off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.

Upon splashdown, Crew-8 will have orbited the Earth 3,776 times and traveled approximately 100,132,895 statute miles. In their 232 days spent aboard the space station, they also saw the arrival and departure of eight visiting spacecraft.

Four minutes before splashdown, the drogue parachutes will deploy at about 18,000 feet in altitude while Dragon is moving approximately 350 miles per hour. Less than a minute later, the main parachutes will deploy at about 6,000 feet in altitude while the spacecraft is moving approximately 119 miles per hour.

NASA’s live coverage will continue on NASA+ and the agency’s website until the crew is recovered from the spacecraft.

NASA, SpaceX Set Time for Crew-8 Undocking

NASA and SpaceX are targeting 5:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 23 for the Dragon spacecraft named Endeavour to autonomously undock from the International Space Station. After performing a series of departure burns to move away from the space station, Dragon will conduct multiple orbit-lowering maneuvers, jettison the trunk, and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere for splashdown off the coast of Florida approximately 34 hours later on Friday, Oct. 25.

NASA, SpaceX Target Wednesday for Crew-8 Undocking

NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Oct. 23, for the agency’s Crew-8 mission to depart from the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft. An undocking on Wednesday would result in a splashdown on Friday, Oct. 25.

Forecasters have seen improvement in expected weather at some of the landing sites off the coast of Florida and continue to monitor conditions while considering splashdown sites and exact timing. The next weather briefing is scheduled for 9 a.m., Wednesday.

NASA, SpaceX Adjust Crew-8 Undocking Date

Members of NASA's SpaceX Crew-8 crew members at International Space Station
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 crew members pose for a photo inside SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA

Weather conditions near the multiple splashdown sites off Florida’s coast remain unfavorable for the return of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission from the International Space Station. Forecasts remain marginal for an undocking on Tuesday, Oct. 22, and Wednesday, Oct. 23. If weather conditions improve, NASA and SpaceX will target no earlier than 9:05 p.m. EDT, Oct. 22, for undocking from the space station. Based on the current forecast, conditions are expected to improve as the week progresses.

Mission managers continue to monitor conditions and will meet at 9 a.m., Oct. 22, for the next weather briefing. We will provide additional updates and information on NASA+ coverage when available.

NASA, SpaceX Continue Weather Watch for Crew-8 Return

The four crew members that make up the SpaceX Crew-8 mission aboard the International Space Station are pictured in the vestibule in between the Harmony module's space-facing port and the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. From top to bottom are, NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps, Mike Barratt, and Matthew Dominick, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin.
The four crew members that make up the SpaceX Crew-8 mission aboard the International Space Station are pictured in the vestibule in between the Harmony module’s space-facing port and the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. From top to bottom are, NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps, Mike Barratt, and Matthew Dominick, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin. Photo credit: NASA

Weather conditions near the multiple splashdown zones off the coast of Florida remain unfavorable for the return of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission from the International Space Station. Mission managers continue to monitor conditions and will meet at 11 a.m. EDT Saturday, Oct. 19 for the next weather briefing. If weather conditions improve, NASA and SpaceX will target no earlier than 3:05 a.m., Monday, Oct. 21, for undocking from the space station.

NASA, SpaceX Monitor Weather for Crew-8 Return

Weather conditions near multiple splashdown zones off the coast of Florida remain unfavorable for the return of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 from the International Space Station. Mission managers continue to monitor conditions as weather is expected to remain unfavorable for several days. The next weather briefing is planned for 11 a.m. EDT, on Friday, Oct. 18. If weather conditions improve, NASA and SpaceX will target no earlier than 3:05 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 20, for undocking from the space station.

NASA, SpaceX Continue Evaluating Weather for Crew-8 Return

Mission managers continue to monitor weather conditions near the splashdown zones off the Florida coast ahead of returning NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission from the International Space Station. Current forecasts indicate unfavorable conditions over the next several days. The next weather briefing is planned for 11 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct. 16. If weather conditions improve, NASA and SpaceX will target no earlier than 3:05 a.m., Friday, Oct. 18, for undocking from the space station.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 Launches to International Space Station

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched on March 3, 2024, from NASA’s from Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying the agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission into orbit for a mission to the International Space Station.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched on March 3, 2024, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida carrying the agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission into orbit for a mission to the International Space Station. Photo credit: NASA

NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and mission specialist Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin are on their way to the International Space Station, following the picture-perfect launch of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, launched at 10:53 p.m. EST atop the company’s Falcon 9 rocket from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida.

“I want to personally thank the crew for their work and the sacrifice that they’ve made of their time to train and be ready for this mission,” said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free. “Crew-8’s mission will further the understanding of how humans learn and behave in space and how their bodies respond, and it’s all critical to our lunar exploration. We need all of these to come together to understand how people and technologies and systems will behave when we go on longer duration missions.”

Once in orbit, the crew and SpaceX mission control in Hawthorne, California, will monitor a series of automatic maneuvers that will guide Dragon to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. The spacecraft is designed to dock autonomously, but the crew can take control and pilot manually, if necessary.

Upon arrival, the members of Crew-8 will be welcomed inside the station by the seven-member crew of Expedition 70 and conduct several days of handover activities with the departing astronauts of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission. After the handover period, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andy Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Crew-7 will undock from the space station and splash down off the coast of Florida.

“We’ll have five dock days of Crew-8/Crew-7 handover activities, after which we’ll start watching weather and look for a landing opportunity for Crew-7,” said Joel Montalbano, NASA program manager, International Space Station. “Crew-8 will stay onboard the International Space Station until mid-August, performing over 200 experiments in science and research, technology development, and commercialization of low-Earth orbit.”

The members of Crew-8 will conduct new scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and benefit humanity on Earth. Experiments include using stem cells to create organoid models to study degenerative diseases, studying the effects of microgravity and UV radiation on plants at a cellular level, and testing whether wearing pressure cuffs on the legs could prevent fluid shifts and reduce health problems in astronauts. These are just a few of the more than 200 scientific experiments and technology demonstrations taking place during their mission.

At the end of their mission, Crew-8 will complete a short handover with Crew-9, and the Dragon spacecraft – with the four crew members aboard – will autonomously undock, depart the space station, and re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. After splashdown off of Florida’s coast, a SpaceX recovery vessel will pick up the spacecraft and crew, who then will be helicoptered back to shore.

“What a crazy exciting time in space right now,” said Free. “And it’s all rooted in NASA’s mission of exploring the unknown in air and space, innovating for the benefit of humanity, and inspiring the world through discovery. The four individuals of Crew-8 exemplify that.”

The agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is the eighth commercial crew rotation mission for NASA.

More details about the mission can be found in the online press kit and by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew on Twitter, or commercial crew on Facebook.

Learn more about station activities by following  @space_station and @ISS_Research  on Twitter as well as the ISS Facebook  and ISS Instagram accounts.

Dragon Endeavour Reaches Orbit, News Conference at 12:15 a.m. EST

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission launches from Kennedy Space Center at 10:53 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 3, 2024.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission launches from Kennedy Space Center at 10:53 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 3, 2024. Photo credit: NASA Television

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, commander; Michael Barratt, pilot; and mission specialist Jeanette Epps along with Roscosmos cosmonaut mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin to the International Space Station has safely reached orbit, and the nosecone has opened.

A postlaunch news conference will be held at approximately 12:15 a.m. EST at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center with the following participants:

  • Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, NASA Kennedy
  • Joel Montalbano, manager, International Space Station Program, NASA Johnson
  • Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX

NASA will air the postlaunch news conference on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

Follow along with mission activities and get more information on the International Space Station blog.

Learn more about commercial crew and space station activities by following @commercial_crew, @Space_Station, @ISS_Research on X, as well as the Commercial Crew Facebook, ISS Facebook, and ISS Instagram accounts.

Separation Confirmed! Dragon Now Flying Solo

The Dragon spacecraft has separated from the Falcon 9’s second stage and is flying on its own. The spacecraft is traveling at approximately 17,500 miles per hour (28,200 kilometers per hour). In less than a minute, the Dragon nosecone open sequence will begin.