UAE astronaut AlNeyadi to begin return journey to Earth today: How, when, where to watch historic mission live

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Astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi is gearing up in preparation for his anticipated departure from the International Space Station (ISS) on Sunday afternoon as teams from Nasa and SpaceX gave the “go” for Crew6 to undock from the orbiting laboratory.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to finally undock from the space station today to begin the journey home.

Taking to the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter), Nasa’s commercial crew tweeted, “Teams from @NASA and @SpaceX gave the “go” for #Crew6 to undock from the @Space_Station Sept. 3 at 7:05am ET (1 pm UAE time) and head for splashdown off the Florida coast early Sept.4 at 12:17am ET (8.17am UAE time). NASATV coverage begins at 5am ET with hatch closure.”

How to watch event live?

Live coverage of the event will begin with hatch closure coverage on Sunday, September 3. Here are the (UAE) timings to note:

1pm: Live coverage begins
3.05pm: Undocking of the Dragon spacecraft

Meanwhile, space agency authorities are vigilantly observing weather conditions to ensure a safe and smooth return.

When will Crew-6 reach Earth?

Nasa and SpaceX are targeting 8.17am on Monday, September 4, for a splashdown that will wrap up a nearly six-month science mission for Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi, Stephen Bowen, Woody Hoburg, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.

What is undocking?

The Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, will undock, depart the space station, and return important and time-sensitive research to our planet.

Upon undocking from the space station, the SpaceX capsule will initiate its 24-hour journey back to Earth, following a predetermined trajectory meticulously planned by Nasa and SpaceX. Throughout this period, the astronauts can unwind and even remove their spacesuits.

Following the conclusion of Dragon's departure from the station, the coverage of Crew-6’s return will continue with audio only, and the full coverage will resume at the start of the splashdown broadcast.

However, real-time audio between Crew-6 and flight controllers on NASA’s Mission Audio stream will remain available.

The capsule operates in autonomous mode, with the capability for the crew to assume control from inside the spacecraft.

Importantly, astronauts can maintain communication with mission control, with the option to hold real-time calls or transmit pre-recorded videos.

There will be a live stream covering the spacecraft's detachment from the ISS, followed by a temporary interruption. Streaming will recommence as the capsule initiates its deorbit burn to reenter Earth's atmosphere.

The broadcast will further capture the capsule’s descent along Florida's coastline on Monday, showing the parachute deployment and the eventual inland landing.

After the capsule's safe splashdown, personnel aboard a nearby boat will conduct an examination of the spacecraft to verify that it is not emitting any hazardous gases.

Subsequently, the boat will transport it to SpaceX's recovery vessel, where engineers will proceed to remove the hatch, enabling the astronauts to disembark.

What’s the reason behind slight delay in Sultan Al Neyadi's comeback?

AlNeyadi is experiencing a slight delay in his return to the ground due to adverse weather conditions.

Originally scheduled for a return journey starting at 5.05pm on Saturday, as announced by UAE space authorities earlier this week, the departure had to be rescheduled. The mission was postponed due to “Unfavourable conditions near the splashdown site” by Nasa and SpaceX.