The long-awaited return of the stranded Starliner astronauts is finally on the horizon, with a touchdown expected on Tuesday evening. Coverage of this significant event will commence on Monday night at approximately 10:45 PM ET. Viewers can catch all the action via live streams available on NASA’s official website and through the NASA+ app.
Monday night’s live stream will concentrate on critical operations, including the hatch closing and the undocking procedure. After the initial coverage wraps up, the stream will pause until 4:45 PM ET on Tuesday, as the crew prepares for their final descent towards splashdown.
The astronauts are expected to make their arrival back on Earth around 5:57 PM ET, marking the end of a challenging mission. Following their touchdown, a live press conference is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET, where updates and insights from the mission will be shared.
The two NASA astronauts returning home, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, were originally part of Boeing’s Starliner crew mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission was initially planned as a one-week stay but extended to an impressive nine months due to unforeseen circumstances. The Starliner spacecraft was deemed unfit for a crewed return to Earth after experiencing failures, including the malfunction of five thrusters during the journey.
As a result of these complications, Williams and Wilmore are now set to hitch a ride on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. The transition to SpaceX was necessitated by the delays experienced with the Starliner program, which had originally scheduled this mission for February.
The return of the Starliner astronauts marks a critical moment in space exploration and highlights the challenges faced during crewed missions. Stay tuned for the live coverage and press conference as we witness this remarkable journey back to Earth.
