Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, who has been stuck at the International Space Station for the past nine months, is now just hours away from returning home to Earth. The spacecraft has undocked from the International Space Station and is expected to land in the ocean at 3:30 am on Wednesday, Indian Standard Time. In light of this, here is a brief overview of the return journey of Sunita Williams and the Dragon spacecraft carrying her.
NASA, the US space agency, is regularly providing information about the return journey of Sunita Williams and her colleagues. NASA has also released a schedule for this journey. This schedule is tentative and may change depending on weather conditions. According to NASA's schedule, the total time for Sunita Williams' return journey is likely to be up to 17 hours.
The return journey of the Dragon spacecraft carrying Sunita Williams and her fellow astronauts will be in various stages. Before entering the spacecraft, the astronauts wear pressure suits. Then the hatch is closed and it is verified that there is no leakage. After that, the spacecraft separates from the International Space Station. This undocking process also takes place in various stages. Also, in the final stage, the spacecraft completely separates from the International Space Station and starts its journey towards Earth. SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft carrying Sunita Williams undocked around 10.30 am today.
After that, the spacecraft begins its deorbit burn. This process is likely to happen at 2:41 am on Wednesday. Accordingly, the engine will be started, so that the spacecraft will come even closer to Earth. SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft will enter the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of 27,000 km per hour. After that, two Dragon parachutes will first open at an altitude of about 18,000 feet above the ground. Then, the main parachute will open at 6,000 feet.
The final stage of splashdown, or landing of the astronauts, will take place in the ocean near the coast of Florida. If the weather in this area is bad, the landing may also take place in other places. The current scheduled time of landing is 3:27 am on Wednesday.