Astronaut Loral O'Hara, alongside Soyuz commander Oleg Novitskiy and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya, have successfully completed their journey back to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS). The crew, aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft, undocked from the ISS at 11:54pm ET, initiating their return. The spacecraft's deorbit burn occurred at 2:23:55am, reducing its speed by approximately 286 mph, essential for beginning its descent. The crew module, after enduring the peak heating from atmospheric friction and separating from the spacecraft's other modules, made a parachute-assisted landing near Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at 3:17am ET. This marks the end of a 204-day mission for O'Hara and a 14-day stay for Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya. The entire event was broadcast live on NASA TV, capturing the moment the crew felt gravity again and the parachutes deployed for their final descent.
Soyuz MS-24/70S: Parachute deploy confirmed! Novitskiy, Vasilevskaya and O'Hara are now descending gently toward touchdown under the spacecraft's single orange-and-white main parachute; heat shield jettison confirmed
Soyuz MS-24/70S: The crew module has exited the peak heating zone after enduring the extremes of atmospheric friction; with communications restored, Novitskiy reports "the crew feels great;" touchdown expected in about 15 minutes
The Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft is soaring through Earth's atmosphere, the crew is feeling gravity, and the parachutes will soon open for a landing at 3:17am ET today. https://t.co/sT7uXA8v2t
Soyuz MS-24/70S: Just above the discernible atmosphere, the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft's upper and lower modules separated from the central crew cabin as planned; oriented with its heat shield in the direction of travel, the crew module then slammed back into the discernible… https://t.co/oqq0pHtZdE
The Soyuz MS-24 crew ship has separated into three modules. The crew will soon enter the atmosphere and parachute to a landing inside the descent module at 3:17am ET. Watch live on @NASA TV... https://t.co/TtuVWJIDJE https://t.co/Uwz22G0the
Astronaut Loral O'Hara, cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya are riding inside the descent module of the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft and nearing the Earth's atmosphere. Watch live on @NASA TV... https://t.co/TtuVWJIDJE https://t.co/dVN37cB3jI
Soyuz MS-24/70S: Deorbit ignition... and engine shutdown; good burn confirmed; after a half-hour freefall, the spacecraft's descent module will plunge back into the discernible atmosphere ~2:55am EDT (0655 UTC), on course for a parachute descent to touchdown 90 miles east of…
The Soyuz MS-24 crew ship has fired its braking engines to descend back into Earth's atmosphere and land in Kazakhstan at 3:17am ET today. Watch live on @NASA TV... https://t.co/TtuVWJIDJE https://t.co/AyfMO4z98P
Watch live: Crew returns from International Space Station https://t.co/lFfFreurp3
Live now on @NASA TV, astronaut Loral O'Hara is due to land on Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft with two crewmates at 3:17am ET today. https://t.co/sT7uXA8v2t
Watch live as a Soyuz spacecraft carrying @LunarLoral and her crewmates re-enters Earth's atmosphere and parachutes to landing. Touchdown is expected at 3:17am ET (0717 UTC). https://t.co/nYiekDdVZb
WATCH LIVE: NASA Astronaut Loral O'Hara Returns Home to Earth. https://t.co/lb7dzRH6av
Back to Earth | Soyuz MS-24 with 3 on board undocks from ISS https://t.co/ZMYXQxUsSX
Soyuz MS-24/70S: The Soyuz spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station's Rassvet module at 11:54pm EDT (0354 UTC Saturday) as the two spacecraft sailed 260 miles above southern Mongolia, kicking off a 3-and-a-half hour return to Earth and landing in Kazakhstan https://t.co/TF0XoMejO0
The orbital crewmates are seated inside the Soyuz MS-24 crew ship nearing their 11:54pm ET undocking from the station live on @NASA TV. https://t.co/zYqGy09o4P
Three orbital crewmates are seated inside the Soyuz MS-24 crew ship nearing their 11:54pm ET undocking from the station live on @NASA TV. https://t.co/qsaIzHBM4P
Live from the @Space_Station, three space travelers aboard their Soyuz spacecraft undock from the orbiting laboratory. https://t.co/GuF1JGbl7E
The Soyuz MS-24 spaceship arrived at ISS last Sept. with astronauts Kononenko, Chub and O'Hara. Later today it will undock and return to Earth with Novitskiy, O'Hara and Vasilevskaya. (visiting crew Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya arrived Mar 25 aboard Soyuz MS-25).
The departing crewmates closed the hatch to their Soyuz MS-24 crew ship at 8:45pm ET today and are now preparing to undock from the station at 11:54pm. https://t.co/zmxs2oi1oz
Soyuz MS-24/70S: If all goes well, the Soyuz descent module will touch down near the town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at 3:17:36am EDT (0717 UTC, 12:17pm local time), closing out a 204-day flight by O'Hara and a 14-day stay in space for Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya https://t.co/KtCswEfTG8
Soyuz MS-24/70S: Undocking from the station's Earth-facing Rassvet port is planned for 11:54pm EDT (0354 UTC Saturday); a 4-minute 41-second deorbit rocket firing is expected at 2:23:55am (0623 UTC), slowing the ship by about 286 mph to kick off the descent to Earth
Soyuz MS-24/70S: Soyuz commander Oleg Novitskiy, Belarusian guest flier Marina Vasilevskaya and NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara bid their space station crewmates farewell and boarded their ferry ship this evening for a fiery plunge back to Earth early Saturday https://t.co/DQE8bD4NEf
Live now on @NASA TV, astronaut Loral O'Hara and two crewmates prepare to depart the station at 11:54pm ET today aboard the Soyuz MS-24 crew ship for a landing in Kazakhstan. Hatch closure is at ~8:30pm. https://t.co/qsaIzHBM4P
LIVE: Space crew returns from ISS https://t.co/GGoTKTYaSE
Live now, @LunarLoral and her crewmates say farewell as they prepare to depart from the @Space_Station. Hatch closure is scheduled for approximately 8:36pm ET (0036 UTC): https://t.co/h9RTPIQbMB
The 10 residents aboard the station worked a short day resting up before the departure of three crewmates at 11:54pm ET today live on @NASA TV. https://t.co/sX1z1Gb5g0