NASA Provides Agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 Mission Update
The following is attributed to Cheryl Warner, news chief, NASA’s Office of Communications:
“Following NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission’s safe splashdown and recovery off Florida’s coast early Friday morning, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin were taken to a local medical facility for additional evaluation. The crew exited the Dragon spacecraft onto a recovery ship for standard post-flight medical evaluations. Out of an abundance of caution, all crew members were flown to the facility together. NASA will provide additional information as it becomes available.”
Crew-8 Commander Matthew Dominick, Pilot Mike Barratt, and Mission Specialists Jeanette Epps and Alexander Grebenkin are orbiting Earth today inside Endeavour nearing the end of a seven-and-a-half-month mission. The Commercial Crew quartet is targeting a splashdown off the coast of Florida at 3:29 a.m. EDT on Friday that will be streamed live on NASA+ beginning at 2:15 a.m. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
Meanwhile, four NASA astronauts aboard the station slept in on Thursday following their support of the departed Crew-8 mission. Commander Suni Williams along with Flight Engineers Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Don Pettit were on shift late Wednesday monitoring systems when Dragon undocked at 5:05 p.m. from the Harmony module’s space-facing port. The quartet was back to work on Thursday working on standard maintenance duties and research tasks.
Williams spent her shift in the Quest airlock cleaning cooling loops on a spacesuit and checking the suit’s other components. Pettit inspected fire extinguishers and breathing masks throughout the station’s U.S. segment ensuring they were in good operating condition.
Human research and technology studies were on the science portion of the schedule informing researchers how to successfully live and work in space long-term. Hague collected his saliva and urine samples for stowage in a science freezer and later analysis to understand microgravity’s effect on the human body. Wilmore set up the Sphere Cam-2 and filmed activities in the Destiny laboratory module in ultra-high resolution testing its ability to provide highly detailed mission imagery on future missions.
The three Roscosmos cosmonauts aboard the station worked a full shift on Thursday focusing on their complement of lab upkeep and space research. Three-time station visitor Alexey Ovchinin spent Thursday servicing life support hardware in the Zvezda service module. Flight Engineer Ivan Vagner photographed points on Earth testing a technique to determine the space station’s position in orbit, while first-time space flyer Aleksandr Gorbunov worked on orbital plumbing and labeled the contents of medical cabinets.
NASA and SpaceX now are targeting no earlier than Monday, Nov. 4 for the launch of the agency’s SpaceX 31st commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station due to ongoing operations including Crew-9 port relocation and spacecraft integration for the cargo flight.
The company’s Dragon spacecraft will liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and deliver food, supplies, and science investigations to the orbiting laboratory.
NASA will provide additional updates and information on launch and docking when available.
Dragon Undocks from Station, Crew-8 Heads Toward Earth
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.
NASA+ is Live as Crew-8 Prepares to Undock in Dragon
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.
Crew-8 Closes Dragon Hatch, Prepares for Undocking
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.
