NASA's Astronaut Jonny Kim and Crewmates to Return from 245-Day Mission
Aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim is preparing to leave the International Space Station along with his crewmates Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. The trio will make a parachute-assisted landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
Their return marks the conclusion of a remarkable 245-day mission aboard the station, during which they have orbited Earth over 3,900 times and traveled nearly 104 million miles. This was Kim's first flight to the space station, while Zubritsky is ending his second trip in space. Ryzhikov, on the other hand, is wrapping up his third mission.
As part of NASA's live coverage of their return, viewers will be able to watch the undocking and landing process unfold in real-time. The agency has announced a comprehensive schedule of broadcasts, which can be streamed through various online platforms, including social media.
The space station change of command ceremony is set to take place on Sunday, Dec. 7, with Ryzhikov handing over command to NASA astronaut Mike Fincke for Expedition 74. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in the international collaboration that has enabled continuous human presence in space for over 25 years.
Throughout their mission, Kim and his crewmates have advanced scientific knowledge and made research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services, NASA is refocusing its efforts on deep space missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign.
The landing process is expected to begin at 10:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Dec. 9. After their touchdown, Kim will board a NASA aircraft and return to Houston, while Ryzhikov and Zubritsky will fly to their respective training bases in Star City, Russia and Karaganda, Kazakhstan.
Viewers can tune into the live broadcast of this historic moment through various online platforms, including NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency's YouTube channel.
Aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim is preparing to leave the International Space Station along with his crewmates Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. The trio will make a parachute-assisted landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
Their return marks the conclusion of a remarkable 245-day mission aboard the station, during which they have orbited Earth over 3,900 times and traveled nearly 104 million miles. This was Kim's first flight to the space station, while Zubritsky is ending his second trip in space. Ryzhikov, on the other hand, is wrapping up his third mission.
As part of NASA's live coverage of their return, viewers will be able to watch the undocking and landing process unfold in real-time. The agency has announced a comprehensive schedule of broadcasts, which can be streamed through various online platforms, including social media.
The space station change of command ceremony is set to take place on Sunday, Dec. 7, with Ryzhikov handing over command to NASA astronaut Mike Fincke for Expedition 74. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in the international collaboration that has enabled continuous human presence in space for over 25 years.
Throughout their mission, Kim and his crewmates have advanced scientific knowledge and made research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services, NASA is refocusing its efforts on deep space missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign.
The landing process is expected to begin at 10:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Dec. 9. After their touchdown, Kim will board a NASA aircraft and return to Houston, while Ryzhikov and Zubritsky will fly to their respective training bases in Star City, Russia and Karaganda, Kazakhstan.
Viewers can tune into the live broadcast of this historic moment through various online platforms, including NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency's YouTube channel.