NASA, SpaceX Prepares for Crew-8 Return, Splashdown off Florida’s Coast Set for Oct. 25
By Space Coast Daily // October 24, 2024
coverage of the return can be seen on Space Coast Daily TV
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – NASA and SpaceX targeted Wednesday for the undocking of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission from the International Space Station.
Pending weather conditions, the splashdown time is targeted for approximately 3:29 a.m., Friday, Oct. 25, at one of the multiple zones available off the coast of Florida.
NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, are completing a seven-month science expedition aboard the orbiting laboratory and will return important and time-sensitive research to Earth.
Mission managers continue monitoring weather conditions in the area, as Dragon’s undocking depends on various factors, including spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors. NASA will select a specific splashdown time and location closer to the Crew-8 spacecraft undocking.
Watch Crew-8 return activities on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of additional platforms, including social media. For schedule information, visit:
For today’s planned undocking, NASA’s live return operations coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):
Wednesday, Oct. 23
■ 3 p.m. – Hatch closure coverage begins on NASA+
■ 3:20 p.m. – Hatch closing
■ 4:45 p.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+
■ 5:05 p.m. – Undocking
Following the conclusion of undocking, NASA coverage will switch to audio-only.
Pending weather conditions at the splashdown sites, continuous coverage will resume on Friday, Oct. 25, on NASA+ prior to the start of the deorbit burn.
Friday, Oct. 25
■ 2:15 a.m. – Return coverage begins on NASA+
■ 2:39 a.m. – Deorbit burn (time is approximate)
■ 3:29 a.m. – Splashdown (time is approximate)
5 a.m. – Return to Earth media teleconference will stream live on the agency’s YouTube channel, with the following participants:
■ Richard Jones, deputy manager, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program
■ Bill Spetch, operations and integration manager, NASA’s International Space Station Program
■ SpaceX representative
To ask questions, media must dial in no later than 10 minutes before the start of the call. The agency’s media credentialing policy is available online.
You can watch it live on Space Coast Daily TV.
