Symbols, command and toilets: how will Thomas Pesquet's return trip unfold?

It's time for Thomas Pesquet to say goodbye to the International Space Station (ISS), after more than 6 months in space.

The French astronaut, the Japanese Akihiko Hoshide and the Americans Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, leave the ISS this Sunday at the end of the day, aboard the same Space X capsule as on the way there, which should land off Florida Monday afternoon after an 18 hour trip.

The mission ends and it was a real pleasure to share a photo 📷 with those who wanted to discover the world of space missions.

#MissionAlpha pic.twitter.com/qvqdAbMT8B

- Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) November 6, 2021

They will therefore not meet their replacements on board the station, as was planned, due to the bad weather which delayed the flights.

"We missed the opportunity to have the symbolic image of two Europeans (Thomas Pesquet and the German Matthias Maurer) crossing paths on board the ISS", regrets to the Parisian Didier Schmitt, responsible for strategy and coordination of the robotic and human exploration program at the European Space Agency (ESA).

Before leaving, however, a last mission awaits the crew "Crew 2".

They will have to tour the ISS aboard their module, in order to photograph the exterior from all angles.

"It's always good to inspect aircraft, but it's a bit of a symbolic action on the part of Space X which supplied the capsule", decrypts the specialist.

The four astronauts will then head away from the ISS to safety in space, waiting for the "Go!"

From NASA.

“The weather conditions must be good because once the descent has started, nothing can stop the capsule.

They can therefore wait up to 15 hours in orbit before receiving the order, ”recalls Didier Schmitt.

Leaking toilet

At the controls of the ISS since October 4, Thomas Pesquet should not have a particular role to play during the trip, Elon Musk's module piloting itself. “On his previous“ Proxima ”mission, in 2016-2017, Thomas had training to pilot the Soyuz capsule, used at the time. With Space X, our astronauts are passengers, ”explains Didier Schmitt.

The descent will not be fun, however, and the astronauts will face an unexpected challenge: they will not be able to use the toilets of the Dragon capsule, a leak problem having been discovered. "It is of course not optimal, but we are prepared to manage it," astronaut Megan McArthur had modestly commented on Friday. "They always wear layers which are particularly useful for them during extra-vehicular outings," says the member of the ESA.

For Thomas Pesquet, the return to Earth will be different than during his previous mission, this time with a landing off Florida and no longer a landing in the Kazakh steppes.

It should "be a little gentler on the water," hoped the Frenchman Friday at a press conference.

“When landing, the braking is such that it is as if the astronaut was twelve times his weight.

The impact in the water should be less strong, ”confirms Didier Schmitt.

After such a long time away from the blue planet, beware of seasickness.