Will they make landfall this weekend?
French astronaut Thomas Pesquet and three other astronauts could leave the International Space Station on Sunday, NASA announced Thursday, but the timing remains very uncertain, especially because of the weather conditions.
The four astronauts on the mission called Crew-2 are due to return to Earth this month after spending around six months in the ISS.
They would normally have to wait for four other astronauts, the three Americans and the German from Crew-3, to arrive aboard the Station.
But the takeoff of their rocket, postponed several times and which had been rescheduled for this weekend, was again canceled "because of unfavorable weather conditions", NASA said in a statement.
A first opportunity on Sunday evening
Consequence: the space agency is now considering the return of Crew-2 “before launch” of Crew-3.
“The first possible opportunity” for the undocking of the capsule which will bring Crew-2 back to Earth, including the French, is at 1:05 p.m. Sunday Florida time (7:05 p.m. in France).
A withdrawal opportunity is possible on Monday, NASA said, without giving a specific schedule.
Once detached from the ISS, the capsule will begin a journey of several hours, the duration of which can vary greatly depending on the trajectory, then it will land off Florida.
As for Crew-3's take-off, the closest launch opportunity is at 9:51 p.m. local on Monday (03:51 a.m. Tuesday), but only if NASA does not return Crew-2 on Sunday or Monday.
Decisions that "change from day to day"
Crew-3 is scheduled to take off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where astronauts have been in quarantine for days.
“The teams will make their final decision on whether to prioritize the launch of Crew-3 or the return of Crew-2 in the coming days, based on the likelihood of favorable conditions” for either, NASA explained.
These two missions are carried out by NASA in collaboration with SpaceX which now provides regular missions to the ISS from American soil.
"These are complex decisions that change from day to day," Steve Stich, in charge of the NASA trade program, said in the statement.
"The weather in November can be particularly difficult."
VIDEO.
Thomas Pesquet to Emmanuel Macron: "We see the harmful effects of human activity on Earth"
During an exchange with President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday morning, Thomas Pesquet spoke of the uncertainty surrounding his return.
“The last days are a bit special,” he said.
“We still have work to do but our whole to-do list, we've finished it, we're ready to come back.
Somehow, it's almost a blessing, ”he added.
“These few days, for me, I try to make the most of it, it's a bit like an airlock before coming back to Earth.
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