Spaced out: NASA's stranded astronauts will have to readjust after return to Earth
It has been more than 286 days since NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams arrived at the International Space Station. Wilmore and Williams had planned stay from June to July, but concerns about the safety of their return vehicle kept them on the station for months.
Their time on the ISS should be coming to a close, though. Over the weekend, the seven-member ISS crew welcomed the members of Crew-10, who will conduct research for about six months. Wilmore and Williams will get a much-needed ride home Tuesday in the Harmony capsule and, weather permitting, splash down just before 6 p.m. ET off Florida, according to NASA.
Effects of space on the human body
Wilmore and Williams will have physical issues to contend with after spending nearly 7,000 hours in space. Their biggest challenge: gravity.
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Who has spent the longest time in space?
Astronaut Frank Rubio holds the record for the longest continuous spaceflight by an American at 371 days in space, according to NASA. Wilmore and Williams will be 85 days short of his record.
U.S. astronauts with most consecutive days aboard the International Space Station:
How to watch the astronauts return
NASA plans to provide coverage of the undocking and landing on its streaming service, NASA+.
A livestream of Dragon's return voyage will start around 4:45 p.m. ET Tuesday before the spacecraft's burn to leave orbit.
◾ 5:11 p.m. ET – Deorbit burn (time is approximate)
◾ 5:57 p.m. ET – Splashdown (time is approximate)
SOURCE NASA
CONTRIBUTING Anthony Robledo, Jim Sergent and Reuters