SCIENCE NEWS
Space X's Crew Dragon return to Earth: how to follow live online
NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are expected to splash down on Sunday following their historic trip to the International Space Station.
Follow online the SpaceX Dragon returns to Earth:live
On Sunday afternoon in Florida, NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are expected to splash down inside SpaceX’s new Crew Dragon following their historic trip to the International Space Station (ISS) which began in late May. If you want to watch it happen live then read on.
Space X Crew Dragon returns to Earth
We should immediate point out for those new to these procedures that this return to Earth from orbit is not a simple one. After saying their goodbyes and undocking from the ISS, the pair spend around 18 hours in orbit as they edge themselves closer to our atmosphere, and aiming for their landing destination. At that point, Behnken and Hurley will be looking to slow up the Crew Dragon from a speed of over 17,000 miles per hour, as it deals with temperatures of up to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
1 August 2020
19:35 - Departure burn 0
19:40 - Departure burn 1
20:27 - Departure burn 2
21:14 - Departure burn 3
2 August 2020
13:51 - Trunk jettison
13:56 - De-orbit burn
14:48 - Crew Dragon splashdown
The target for landing is on the edge of Florida’s panhandle in the Gulf of Mexico, just off the coast of Pensacola, with a back-up option outside Panama City (Tropical Storm Isaias has ruled out the first choice near Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral). All going well they will splash down after 63 days aboard the ISS at 14:48 Eastern Time on Sunday. Find out what time that is wherever you are in the world with this handy tool.
NASA are providing full coverage of the landing procedure as it happens which you can watch in the streaming feed above.