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SpaceX particulars 11-hour return to Earth for Crew-11 astronauts
“After performing a collection of departure burns to maneuver away from the house station, Dragon will conduct a number of orbit-lowering maneuvers, jettison the trunk, and re-enter Earth’s environment for splashdown off the coast of California roughly 11 hours in a while Thursday, January 15,” SpaceX wrote in an up to date mission overview. Splashdown is presently scheduled for 3:40 a.m. EST (0740 GMT) off the southern coast of California.
NASA, SpaceX: Climate seems to be favorable for Crew-11 return
New commander to take cost quickly
Good morning, all. At this time is Sunday, Jan. 11 and we’re nearly three days away from NASA’s deliberate medical evacation of 4 Crew-11 astronauts from the Worldwide House Station on Jan. 14, and 4 days away from their splashdown on Jan. 15.
We start at the moment with information that NASA and its worldwide companions have organized for an accelerated change of command ceremony on the ISS. That ceremony, which was to happen many weeks from now, will now happen on Monday, Jan. 12, at 2:35 p.m. EST (1835 GMT). You’ll watch it dwell on House.com, courtesy of NASA. Becoming a member of Fincke on the journey to Earth can be Crew-11 commander Zena Cardman of NASA and mission specialists Kimiya Yui of Japan and Oleg Platonaov of Russia. NASA referred to as for his or her early return after a medical situation arose with one of many 4 on Jan. 7.
So why does this command change contain the Crew-11 medical evacuation? It is as a result of the present commander of the Worldwide House Station’s joint Expedition 74 mission is Crew-11 pilot Mike Fincke, a veteran ISS astronaut who will now return to Earth early.
Fincke will hand over management of the ISS to Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, who arrived on the station in November with fellow cosmonaut Sergei Mikaev and NASA astronaut Chris Williams.
Tariq Malik
Methods to watch Crew-11’s medical evac from ISS
The touchdown livestreams will start early Jan. 15 at 2:15 a.m. EST (0615 GMT), with splashdown set for 3:40 a.m. EST (0740 GMT).
This can be our final replace of the day, barring any new replace from NASA. We’ll be again on Sunday to extra on the packing and different preparations of the crew forward of their unplanned departure from the ISS.
Thanks for tuning in.
Tariq Malik
Japan’s Crew-11 astronaut takes picture farewell of ISS
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui is saying some farewells to the Japan-built part of the Worldwide House Station as he and his Crew-11 crewmates put together for his or her medical evacuation from the orbiting lab on Jan. 14.
Yui shared a photograph on Friday that he took from a window on the Japan Aerospace Exploration Company’s Kibo module, the most important science laboratory on the house station, displaying the module’s airlock and experiment platform. The house station’s principal truss and two big photo voltaic arrays could be seen, in addition to the blue arc of the Earth under.
“At this time was a really busy day as nicely, so I used to be working fairly late.,” Yui wrote. “I hadn’t taken the pictures to introduce to everybody, so I simply shot them from the window of ‘Kibo’ a short time in the past. Since I am going to quickly should bid farewell to this view as nicely, I wish to burn it firmly into my eyes, and much more so, into my coronary heart.”
Yui is on his second journey to the ISS with the Crew-11 mission. He is been taking spectacular pictures of Earth and house from the station, in addition to movies just like the one right here shared by House.com author Anthony Wooden:
Astronaut on ISS captures spectacular orbital video of zodiacal gentle, auroras and the Pleiades
Yui will return to Earh on Jan. 15 within the wee hours of the morning with Crew-11 crewmates Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman (each of NASA) and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platanov, with their SpaceX Dragon capsule splashing down within the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
Tariq Malik
Crew-11 early return will depart skeleton crew on ISS
Tariq Malik
NASA Timeline revealed for Crew-11 medical evacuation
Wednesday, Jan. 14 – all occasions in EST
- 3 p.m. – Hatch closure protection begins on NASA TV and streaming platforms
- 3:30 p.m. – SpaceX Dragon hatch and ISS hatch closed for undocking
- There can be a break right here between hatch closure protection and undocking views.
- 4:45 p.m. – Undocking protection begins
- 5 p.m. – Undocking and preliminary ISS departure
- There can be a break right here in protection between undocking and touchdown.
Thursday, Jan. 15 – all occasions in EST
- 2:15 a.m – Touchdown protection begins on NASA TV and streaming platforms
- 2:50 a.m. – Dragon Deorbit burn
- 3:40 a.m. – Splashdown within the Pacific Ocean off California coast
- 5:45 a.m. – Submit-landing return to Earth press convention
This present timeline may change as NASA and SpaceX monitor climate on the splashdown website.
“Mission managers proceed monitoring situations within the restoration space, as undocking of the SpaceX Dragon relies on spacecraft readiness, restoration group readiness, climate, sea states, and different components,” NASA wrote in an replace. “NASA and SpaceX will choose a particular splashdown time and placement nearer to the Crew-11 spacecraft undocking.”
Tariq Malik
SpaceX prepares for Crew-11 medical evacuation
SpaceX says it is Dragon spacecraft on the Worldwide House Station is able to return its 4 Crew-11 astronauts dwelling in an unprecedented medical evacuation on Jan. 14 and 15.
“Dragon and Crew-11 are focused t undock from the house station no sooner than Wednesday, January 14,” SpaceX wrote in a mission replace on X late yesterday.
Dragon and Crew-11 are focused to undock from the house station no sooner than Wednesday, January 14 https://t.co/L6ThXkTHbaJanuary 10, 2026
The SpaceX assertion got here on the heels of NASA’s announcement that the Crew-11 astronauts have been scheduled to undock from the house station on Jan. 14 and splashdown off the coast of California early on Jan. 15.
Splashdown is now set for 3:40 a.m. EST (0740 GMT) on Thursday, Jan. 15, NASA officers mentioned.
The Crew-11 Dragon spacecraft will return NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke to Earth alongside Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platanov.
NASA determined to evacuate the crew, which make up 4 of the seven astronauts presently aboard the Worldwide House Station, on Jan. 8 after an apparently critical medical concern arose with one of many 4 Crew-11 astronauts. The astronaut is steady, however NASA officers opted for a “managed medical evacuation” with the intention to present astronaut higher remedy on the bottom, NASA chief Jared Isaacman has mentioned.
Tariq Malik
NASA planning on Jan. 15 return of Crew-11 astronauts
NASA is concentrating on no sooner than 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) on Jan. 14 for the early departure of the Crew-11 astronauts after an undisclosed medical incident aboard the Worldwide House Station.
The crew will deorbit aboard Endeavour, with splashdown anticipated early Jan. 15, off the coast of California, “relying on climate and restoration situations,” based on a submit from the house station’s account on X.
.@NASA and @SpaceX goal undocking Crew-11 from the Worldwide House Station no sooner than 5pm ET on Jan. 14, with splashdown off California focused for early Jan. 15 relying on climate and restoration situations. https://t.co/Y89iIj3jEYJanuary 10, 2026
Josh Dinner
Crew-11 exams fits, begins packing for medical evac
The Dragon strain fits are the identical black and white SpaceX spacesuits worn by Crew-11 astronauts Mike Fincke, Zena Cardman, Kimiya Yui and Oleg Platanov throughout their launch in August 2025. Cardman will command the Dragon flight dwelling with Fincke as pilot. Kimuya and Platanov will function mission specialists.
The astronauts have additionally begun packing for his or her journey dwelling.
“The foursome started accumulating their private objects and packing them for stowage aboard the spacecraft,” NASA wrote within the replace.
Cardman frolicked at the moment flushing water from and powerfing down two NASA spacesuits on the ISS. She and Fincke have been supposed to make use of the fits throughout a spacewalk on Jan. 8 and one other one subsequent week. Each spacewalks werte canceled because of the medical situation with one of many Crew-11 astronauts.
Yui and Platanov frolicked on remaining science experiments of their mission, together with one by Platanov learning how the internal lining of blood vessels work to maintain blood flowing in house, with the intention to keep away from the formation of blood clots.
Tariq Malik
Astronaut medical situation not an harm, NASA says
You may learn our look again at medical points in house right here by Josh Dinner.
The months-long missions on the ISS can have lasting results on the human physique, forcing astronauts to readapt to dwell on Earth once they return, together with rebuilding the muscle mass and bone density misplaced in house. At the least one astronaut suffered a blood clot in orbit on account of deep vein thrombisis on the two-month mark of a deliberate six-month mission. Physicians on Earth have been capable of devise a remedy for the astronaut to implement in house to handle the problem and full the mission’s full period.
Not NASA’s first medical situation in house
Whereas NASA’s present astronaut medical situation on the Worldwide House Station has led to the first-ever deliberate medical evacuation of a crew from the orbiting lab, it’s removed from the primary time the house company has needed to take care of a medical concern in orbit.
Dr. James Polk, NASA’s chief medical officer, informed reporters late Thursday that medical points we discover widespread on Earth – like a toothache or different delicate illness – are the identical type of issues which have traditionally occurred with astronauts. The particular nature of the present situation, and the astronaut who skilled it, are being withheld for privateness causes, he added.
Nonetheless, there’s a file of medical issues on the ISS, together with ones that led to delays for spacewalks or different duties.
In August 2020, NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and his crewmate Akhiko Hoshide had their deliberate spacewalk referred to as off days earlier than the occasion on account of a minor medical situation that remained undisclosed. And in 2008, European House Company astronaut Hans Schlegel was changed on his ISS spacwalk by NASA astronaut Stanley Love on account of a medical concern.
Tariq Malik
Former astronauts weigh-in on ISS state of affairs
Former Canadian House Company astronaut Chris Hadfield posted his ideas relating to NASA’s latest determination to fly Crew-11 astronauts aboard the Worldwide House Station (ISS) again to Earth on account of an ongoing medical situation.
“Massive determination by NASA management, with a number of domino impacts on operations, however I’m glad to see, as all the time, crew well being and security come first,” Hadfield wrote on X.
Usually, NASA overlaps incoming and outgoing crews aboard the ISS, however with the potential for evacuating Crew-11 earlier than Crew-12’s arrival, Hadfield voiced confidence. “The Station can be extra weak till the alternative crew of 4 can launch, however we now have deep expertise operating the place with simply 3 astronauts for some time,” he wrote.
Former NASA astronaut Ed Lu additionally weighed in on X. “The bothered house station astronaut … is nearly actually feeling they’ve let down the crew. We have been skilled to get the mission executed. However I do belief NASA to do the proper factor right here.”
It is nonetheless unclear when precisely Crew-11 will depart the station, or when and if NASA will decide an earlier launch date for Crew-12.
For the primary time within the 25-year historical past of the Worldwide House Station, we’ve had a critical sufficient medical emergency in house to deliver a crew dwelling early. Massive determination by @nasa management, with a number of domino impacts on operations, however I’m glad to see, as all the time, crew… pic.twitter.com/p3ObJh497DJanuary 8, 2026
Josh Dinner
ISS astronaut evacuation will not have an effect on Artemis 2 moon launch
NASA’s plan to rturn the 4 Crew-11 astronauts dwelling early from the Worldwide House Station and speed up the launch of their alternative group, Crew-12, from Florida mustn’t affect the company’s plans to additionally launch one other crew of astronauts to the moon in February.
NASA chief Jared Isaacman mentioned Thursday that NASA’s Artemis 2 mission, which can launch 4 astronauts across the moon, will stay on monitor to launch in early February. The mission will elevate off from the Kennedy House Heart, the place SpaceX may even launch the Crew-12 astronauts. The Crew-11 astronauts may even should splashdown off the Florida coast earlier than then.
“These can be completely separate campaigns at this level,” Isaacman mentioned throughout a Jan. 8 press convention to supply an replace on NASA’s determination to finish Crew-11 early. “There is not any purpose to consider at this time limit that there’d be any overlap that we now have to deconflict for.”
You may learn the total story right here by Workers Author Josh Dinner.
NASA prepares to return 4 astronauts dwelling early
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman introduced his determination to deliver the Crew-11 astronauts dwelling early on their SpaceX Dragon capsule on Thursday (Jan. 8). The company is now drawing up plans to each undock the Crew-11 Dragon and splashdown off the Florida coast early, whereas additionally accelerating the deliberate launch of a alternative crew on the SpaceX Crew-12 mission.
The departure of the Crew-11 astronauts will depart NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two cosmonauts, Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev, on their very own on the ISS. Crew-11 launched to the ISS in August 2025, with Williams and crew launching on a Soyuz rocket in November.
Watch this house for extra updates on this creating story.
Tariq Malik
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