NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Jan. 14, for the undocking of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International Space Station, pending weather conditions.
On Jan. 8, NASA announced its decision to return the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to Earth from the space station earlier than originally planned as teams monitor a medical concern with a crew member currently living and working aboard the orbital laboratory, who is stable. Due to medical privacy, it is not appropriate for NASA to share more details about the crew member.
NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov will splash down off the coast of California at approximately 3:40 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15.
Mission managers continue monitoring conditions in the recovery area, as undocking of the SpaceX Dragon depends on spacecraft readiness, recovery team readiness, weather, sea states, and other factors. NASA and SpaceX will select a specific splashdown time and location closer to the Crew-11 spacecraft undocking.
NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to changed based on real-time operations):
Wednesday, Jan. 14
3 p.m. – Hatch closure coverage begins
3:30 p.m. – Hatch closing
4:45 p.m. – Undocking coverage begins
5 p.m. – Undocking
Thursday, Jan. 15
2:15 a.m. – Return coverage begins
2:50 a.m. – Deorbit burn
3:40 a.m. – Splashdown
5:45 a.m. – Return to Earth media news conference
NASA will set share more details about its coverage plans in the coming days.
Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station on X, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.
Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here.
Elyna Niles-CarnesJanuary 9, 2026
…