Crew-11’s Spectacular Splashdown

NASA has announced that it will provide live coverage of the Crew-11 mission’s return to Earth, featuring astronauts from NASA, Roscosmos, and JAXA. The mission, currently stationed at the International Space Station (ISS), will see its members return earlier than planned due to a medical issue with one astronaut, who is reported to be stable.

The Crew-11, comprising NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, is scheduled to undock from the ISS no earlier than 5:05 p.m. EST on January 14, 2026. The splashdown is targeted off the coast of California at approximately 3:41 a.m. on January 15. The decision to return early was influenced by ongoing medical concerns, details of which remain confidential due to privacy considerations.

Viewers can tune into NASA’s live coverage of the hatch closure starting at 3 p.m. EST, followed by undocking coverage at 4:45 p.m. EST on January 14. The events will be streamed on platforms such as NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube. The coverage will continue into the early hours of January 15, culminating in a post-splashdown news conference led by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman at 5:45 a.m. EST. For those interested in participating in the news conference virtually, media credentials can be requested by contacting the NASA Johnson newsroom.

This mission marks another significant collaboration between NASA and SpaceX under the Commercial Crew Program, which continues to facilitate the exploration of space and enhance the capabilities of international space cooperation.