Expedition 43 crew members Terry Virts, Anton Shkaplerov and Samantha Cristoforetti will return to Earth June 11 at 9:43 a.m. EDT. The trio from the U.S., Russia and Italy will enter the Soyuz TMA-15M spacecraft, undock from the Rassvet module and land in Kazakhstan after 6-1/2 months in space.
NASA Television will provide live coverage of the undocking and landing.
The homebound crew is packing gear in their Soyuz vehicle and training to use the Lower Body Negative Pressure suit which gets their bodies ready for the return Earth’s gravity. In the midst of Soyuz departure preparations, the crew is also continuing the International Space Station’s mission of advanced microgravity science to benefit life on Earth and in space.
There was more Rodent Research work on Friday as scientists study mice to understand the effects of weightlessness on muscles and bones. The crew is also participating in the Fine Motor Skills experiment which looks at how astronauts interact with touch-based technologies and spacecraft instrumentation.
When will the next crew be launched to the ISS? What will be the effect on the ISS maintenance and research during the interim? What if an emergency requiring an EVA were to occur? Can 3 person crew effect a puncture repair?
The next crew, Expedition 44, will launch in late July. Science will continue as the crew awaits new members. Crew members also train for emergencies before a mission starts and during a mission and are prepared for contingencies such as pressure leaks…
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition44/index.html
Welcome back home
Good luck! I look forward to the live broadcast.