Photo credit: www.nasa.gov

NASA Astronaut Don Pettit to Launch on Soyuz MS-26

NASA astronaut Don Pettit is set to embark on a mission aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft alongside cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. Their journey will take them to the International Space Station (ISS), where they will integrate with the Expedition 71 crew to continue vital scientific research.

The launch is scheduled for 12:23 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, September 11 (9:23 p.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Viewers can follow the event through live streams available on NASA+, the NASA mobile app, and the official NASA website, which provides information on accessing content through various social media platforms.

Following a two-orbit, three-hour flight path, the Soyuz spacecraft is anticipated to autonomously dock at the orbiting lab’s Rassvet module at 3:33 p.m. Shortly thereafter, the crew will open the hatches to transition from the spacecraft to the ISS.

Once aboard, Pettit, Ovchinin, and Vagner will join a team of NASA astronauts including Tracy C. Dyson, Mike Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Jeanette Epps, Butch Wilmore, and Suni Williams, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, and Oleg Kononenko.

Nasa has outlined the following coverage schedule, listed in Eastern Time and subject to real-time adjustments:

11:15 a.m. – Launch coverage starts on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

12:23 p.m. – Launch occurs

2:30 p.m. – Coverage for rendezvous and docking begins on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

3:33 p.m. – Docking takes place

5:30 p.m. – Hatch opening and welcoming remarks coverage begins on NASA+, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

5:50 p.m. – Hatch opening occurs

The crew will remain on the space station for approximately six months, contributing to both Expedition 71 and Expedition 72, with their return to Earth slated for spring 2025. Pettit and Ovchinin will each mark their fourth space journey, while Vagner will be participating in his second mission.

For over 20 years, the ISS has served as a platform for continuous human presence in space, facilitating significant scientific advancements and research that would be unattainable on Earth. The station functions as a key experimental site for NASA, aimed at tackling the issues associated with long-duration space travel and exploring commercial prospects within low Earth orbit. As commercial entities develop their capabilities in human space transport, NASA is refocusing its efforts toward deep space exploration, including missions to the Moon under Artemis, in preparation for eventual crewed missions to Mars.

For more information about ongoing research and operations on the International Space Station, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

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Source
www.nasa.gov