The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft is pictured beyond the Candarm2 robotic arm moments after undocking from the Harmony module with four Crew-8 members. Credit: NASA TV
At 5:05 p.m. EDT, NASA astronauts Matt Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin undocked from the forward-facing port of International Space Station’s Harmony module aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
NASA’s return coverage continues with real-time, audio only commentary, and full coverage will resume at the start of the splashdown broadcast. The audio feed will remain available, including astronaut conversations with mission control, in addition to a live video feed from the orbiting laboratory.
NASA’s coverage will resume at 2:15 a.m. Friday, Oct. 25, on NASA+ and the agency’s website until Dragon splashes down at approximately 3:29 a.m. off the coast of Florida, and Crew-8 members are safely recovered. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
The Milky Way appears in the vastness of space behind the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft docked to the space station’s Harmony module.
NASA’s live coverage of undocking is now underway on NASA+ and the agency’s website. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
At 3:24 p.m. EDT, hatches between the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station closed in preparation for undocking and return to Earth of NASA astronauts Matt Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin.
The spacecraft will undock from the orbiting laboratory’s Harmony module at 5:05 p.m., heading for a targeted splashdown at approximately 3:29 a.m. Friday, Oct. 25, off the coast of Florida. NASA will provide coverage of deorbit burn, entry, and splashdown at beginning 2:15 a.m. on NASA+ and the agency’s website.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 members pose for a photo inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft during training on January 2024. From left are, Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin and NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps. Credit: SpaceX
At 3:24 p.m. EDT, the hatch closed between the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station in preparation for the return of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission.
NASA’s undocking coverage begins at 4:45 p.m. on NASA+ and the agency’s website. The spacecraft will autonomously undock from the orbiting laboratory at approximately 5:05 p.m. to begin the return to Earth. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
Following the conclusion of undocking coverage, NASA will switch to real-time audio-only before return coverage resumes at 2:15 a.m. Friday, Oct. 25 on NASA+ and the agency’s website.
The SpaceX Crew-8 members are pictured inside the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft after arriving on March 5, 2024. From left are, Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin and NASA astronauts Mike Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Matthew Dominick.
NASA’s live coverage is underway on NASA+ and the agency’s website ahead of hatch closure and undocking preparations for the return of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
NASA astronauts Matt Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin will close the hatch at 3:20 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct. 23, between the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the International Space Station.
NASA will provide live undocking coverage beginning at 4:45 p.m. on NASA+ and the agency’s website.
The spacecraft will autonomously undock from the space station at 5:05 p.m. to begin the 34-hour return to Earth. NASA and SpaceX are targeting splashdown at approximately 3:29 a.m. Friday, Oct. 25 off the coast of Florida.
As part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, the Crew-8 mission will return important and time-sensitive research to Earth. The crew launched March 3 on the Dragon spacecraft aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will have completed a seven-month science expedition aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Astronaut Matthew Dominick points his camera out a window on the cupola as the space station orbited above the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa.
NASA and SpaceX mission managers are now targeting Wednesday, Oct. 23, for the departure of the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft and its four Crew-8 members. Weather conditions are improving off the coast of Florida but officials will wait for one more weather report scheduled for early Wednesday before choosing a final undocking time and splashdown location for the Commercial Crew quartet.
NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin are nearing the end of a seven-and-a-half month space research mission that began with a launch aboard Dragon on March 3. Dominick will command the spacecraft, leading Barratt as pilot with Epps and Grebenkin as mission specialists, back to Earth for a parachute-assisted splashdown on Friday at a site and time yet to be chosen.
The homebound foursome woke up late again on Tuesday sleep shifting to accommodate the after-hours undocking activities. Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams and Flight Engineers Butch Wilmore, Don Pettit, and Nick Hague, all NASA astronauts, also woke up late as they prepare to assist the Crew-8 members and ready the International Space Station for Dragon’s undocking.
The three cosmonauts staying behind on the orbital lab, Flight Engineers Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, kept a normal schedule on Tuesday staying focused on space science and orbital maintenance. Ovchinin and Vagner took turns in the morning attaching sensors to themselves measuring their breathing rate. Afterward, Ovchinin observed the effects of natural and human impacts on Earth using a hyperspectrometer while Vagner packed trash inside the Progress 88 resupply ship. Gorbunov attached sensors to himself for a 24-hour session measuring his heart rate and blood pressure then serviced ventilation components in the Nauka science module.
The space station is pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour during its departure and flyaround on Nov. 8, 2021.
Mission officials continue monitoring weather conditions off the coast of Florida and have decided to wave off Monday night’s undocking of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission to no earlier than 9:05 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.
Crew-8 members Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, Jeanette Epps, all three from NASA, and Alexander Grebenkin from Roscosmos woke up late Monday having shifted their sleep schedules in anticipation of Monday’s departure. However, the Commercial Crew quartet spent the rest of the day continuing their daily exercise routines and standard housekeeping tasks aboard the orbiting lab. The four SpaceX Dragon Endeavour crewmates will continue their sleep shifts through Tuesday morning when they receive the next weather briefing to determine their next undocking and splashdown opportunities.
Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams and Flight Engineers Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Don Pettit also slept in on Monday having been previously scheduled to assist their departing crewmates. The four NASA astronauts worked a light duty day on Monday and will maintain their adjusted sleep shifts in readiness for Tuesday’s targeted departure of the Crew-8 mission.
The station’s three other cosmonauts from Roscosmos, Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, remained focused throughout Monday on their contingent of microgravity research and orbital maintenance. Ovchinin started his day replacing life support components in the Zvezda service module before wrapping up his shift imaging with a hyperspectrometer the effects of natural and human impacts on Earth. Vagner packed trash and obsolete gear inside the Progress 88 resupply ship ahead of its mid-November departure. Gorbunov downloaded data collected from radiation detectors then inspected and cleaned laptop computers inside the Nauka science module.
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.
The atmospheric glow blankets Earth’s nighttime horizon with a sparkling field of stars above in this photograph from the space station.
The 11-member Expedition 72 crew wrapped up the workweek with light science duties and standard housekeeping tasks aboard the International Space Station. Meanwhile, four members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission continue preparing for their return to Earth.
Most of the orbiting crew had a light duty day with research taking a back seat to orbital maintenance on Friday. NASA Flight Engineers Don Pettit, Nick Hague, and Matthew Dominick mainly focused on lab upkeep stowing hardware for an advanced life support investigation, swapping orbital plumbing components, and replacing a failed ventilation fan. Pettit and Dominick also collected their blood, saliva, and urine samples for processing and analysis while Hague measured the temperature of a biology imaging device.
Commander Suni Williams and Fight Engineer Butch Wilmore, both from NASA, both worked half a day on Friday with experimental work and maintenance tasks. Williams first took a cognition test measuring her abilities such as memory, reasoning, decision-making and more then checked connections on radio frequency identification hardware. Wilmore activated a fluorescence microscope to observe how particles of different sizes gel and coarsen.
NASA Flight Engineers Mike Barratt and Jeanette Epps also had a light shift on Friday. Barratt spent about an hour servicing spacesuit helmet components while Epps assisted with blood sample collections then swapped cables on a station computer.
In the Roscosmos segment of the orbiting lab, Flight Engineers Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner partnered together for a blood pressure study then split up for life support maintenance and cargo stowage. Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov checked pressure reading readings in the Nauka science module while fellow cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin worked on the ventilation system inside the Rassvet module.
In the meantime, weather conditions remain unfavorable for the departure of the SpaceX Crew-8 mission. Dominick, Barratt, Epps, and Grebenkin are now targeting their undocking for no earlier than 3:05 a.m. EDT on Monday. The Commercial Crew quartet are preparing to complete a seven-month research mission and return to Earth aboard the SpaceX Dragon Endeavour spacecraft.
The first rays of an orbital sunrise illuminate Earth’s atmosphere in this photograph from the space station as it orbited above the Pacific Ocean near Chile’s Patagonia coast.
Space medicine, spacesuits, and eye checks filled the schedule aboard the International Space Station on Thursday. Cargo operations and life support maintenance rounded out the day as the Expedition 72 crew awaits the departure of four crewmates.
Scientists are continually using the orbiting lab’s microgravity environment to explore new phenomena not possible on Earth to promote industry and human health. Thursday’s space research explored ways to improve treatments for patients on Earth and keep astronauts healthy on long-term missions.
NASA Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore serviced samples and observed how fluids flow using capillary force to understand how liquid drugs are transported in the lungs. Results may benefit the health care and food industries with improved respiratory therapies and better contamination prevention techniques.
NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Don Pettit worked on advanced research gear ensuring it remains operable for high-quality results. Dominick organized the hardware inside the BioServe centrifuge that supports a range of science from DNA studies, to materials research, and more in space. Pettit replaced cables on the Cell Biology Experiment Facility, an incubator with an artificial gravity generator. Pettit also collected and stowed his urine samples in a science freezer for later analysis. He finally joined Flight Engineer Nick Hague for eye exams using medical imaging gear with assistance from doctors on the ground. Hague earlier relocated air sensors from the Destiny laboratory module to the Tranquility module.
Lab maintenance is also key aboard the orbital outpost to ensure ongoing science operations and healthy crews. Commander Suni Williams and Flight Engineer Jeanette Epps, both NASA astronauts, serviced thermal systems and orbital plumbing components, while also organizing food stowed in the Unity module. NASA Flight Engineer Mike Barratt spent his shift in the Quest airlock dumping and filling spacesuit water tanks then cleaning Quest’s smoke detectors.
Roscosmos Flight Engineer Ivan Vagner completed his 24-hour heart monitoring session on Thursday and handed over the sensors to Flight Engineer Alexey Ovchinin so he could record his heart rate. Vagner also swapped out orbital plumbing gear in the Nauka science module while Ovchinin replaced hydraulic pumps in the Zvezda service module. Flight Engineer Alexander Grebenkin continued photographing crew activities for documentation while Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov jogged on a treadmill for a regularly schedule fitness evaluation.
NASA and SpaceX mission managers continue monitoring weather conditions off the coast of Florida and are now targeting no earlier than 3:05 a.m. EDT on Sunday for the undocking of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission aboard Dragon Endeavour.
Astronauts (from left) Nick Hague and Matthew Dominick check out a camera and its lighting hardware aboard the International Space Station.
Life science was back on the schedule Wednesday with the Expedition 72 crew members studying how microgravity affects space immunity, the circulatory system, and more. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is now targeted to depart the International Space Station no earlier than Sunday pending weather.
Flight Engineer Nick Hague was back on space immunity research servicing blood samples he had collected and stowed the previous day. The samples were incubated overnight in the Columbus laboratory module then spun in a centrifuge early Wednesday before being placed in science freezer for later analysis. Researchers are examining how living in space long-term affects a crew member’s immune system.
Hague also joined Flight Engineer Mike Barratt transferring cargo in and out of the Cygnus space freighter attached to the Unity module’s Earth-facing port. Cygnus launched to the orbital outpost on Aug. 4 arriving just over a day and a half later packed with about 8,200 pounds of science and cargo for the Expedition 71 crew.
NASA Flight Engineer Don Pettit worked in the Kibo laboratory module setting up space biology hardware inside the Life Science Glovebox. The new research gear will support an upcoming experiment to prevent and treat the stress of spaceflight, as well as the symptoms of aging, on the immune system.
Pettit also joined his Soyuz MS-26 crew mates, Roscosmos Flight Engineers Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner, and trained for a medical emergency practicing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), reviewing medical gear and locations, and coordinating communications and crew roles. Ovchinin also studied microgravity’s effect on blood pressure while Vagner attached sensors to himself for a 24-hour session measuring his heart rate.
NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps worked throughout Wednesday on a variety of maintenance tasks. Dominick installed orbital plumbing gear in the Tranquility module while Epps installed an argon gas bottle that supplies Kibo experiment racks. Commander Suni Williams and Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore also worked on lab upkeep duties. Williams downlinked research data to scientists on the ground and labeled science freezers while Wilmore checked on life support gear and analyzed station water samples for microbes.
In the Roscosmos segment of the orbiting lab, Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov wore a sensor-packed cap recording his reactions as he practiced futuristic spacecraft and robotic piloting techniques on a computer. Flight Engineer Alexander Gorbunov photographed crew activities for documentation.
NASA and SpaceX mission managers continue monitoring weather conditions off the coast of Florida and are now targeting no earlier than 3:05 a.m. EDT on Sunday for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-8 mission aboard Dragon Endeavour.
