NASA and SpaceX target Jan. 14 undocking for Crew-11 return after medical concern

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. EST Wednesday, Jan. 14, for the undocking of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 spacecraft from the International Space Station, pending weather conditions. The agency announced on Jan. 8 that it would return the Crew-11 mission earlier than originally planned as teams monitor a medical concern with a crew member currently living and working aboard the orbital laboratory, who is stable.

Due to medical privacy, NASA said it is not appropriate to share more details about the crew member. NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov are scheduled to splash down off the coast of California at approximately 3:40 a.m.

on Thursday, Jan. 15. Mission managers continue monitoring conditions in the recovery area; undocking depends on spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors. NASA and SpaceX will select a specific splashdown time and location closer to the Crew-11 spacecraft undocking.

NASA’s coverage schedule (all times Eastern and subject to changed based on real-time operations) lists hatch closure coverage beginning at 3 p.m. on Jan. 14, hatch closing at 3:30 p.m., undocking coverage beginning at 4:45 p.m. and undocking at 5 p.m.; on Jan. 15 return coverage begins at 2:15 a.m., deorbit burn is listed at 2:50 a.m., splashdown at 3:40 a.m., and a return-to-Earth media news conference at 5:45 a.m.

Key Topics

Science, International Space Station, Spacex Dragon, Nasa, California Coast