NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim Returns to Earth at 17,500 mph Tonight
UPDATE: NASA astronaut Jonny Kim is set to blast off from the International Space Station (ISS) for a thrilling ride back to Earth at speeds reaching 17,500 mph. The undocking from the ISS will occur tonight, December 8, at 8:41 p.m. ET, marking the end of his 245-day mission in orbit.
This marks an exciting homecoming for Kim and his fellow crew members, Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky from Roscosmos. As they prepare for their return, Kim will have completed an impressive 3,920 orbits around Earth and traveled nearly 104 million miles during his first mission in space.
The Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft will undock from the ISS’s Prichal module, with coverage beginning at 8:15 p.m. ET. This is a crucial moment for space enthusiasts and the public alike, as Kim’s journey home is poised to inspire many. He has shared captivating moments from his time aboard the ISS, including stunning time-lapse videos of auroras and experiments in microgravity, like making sushi.
As the spacecraft reenters Earth’s atmosphere, it will slow down dramatically before its parachute-assisted landing in Kazakhstan, just after midnight at 12:04 a.m. ET. The landing will take place on the steppe southeast of Dzhezkazgan, approximately 1,500 miles southeast of Moscow.
For those eager to witness this historic event, NASA will provide live coverage of the crew’s return, available on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and the agency’s YouTube channel. Don’t miss out on this incredible moment in space exploration!
Stay tuned for updates as Kim and his crew embark on their final descent back to Earth, symbolizing the culmination of months of hard work and dedication aboard the ISS.
