In one announcement, four astronauts returned early from the ISS sooner than expected. Their intended six-and-a-half-month-long mission rockets were suddenly, and dramatically, foreshortened. Astronauts Mike Fincke and spaceflight participants Zena Cardman and Kimiya Yui and cosmonaut Oleg Platonov departed the ISS one month ahead of schedule. This amendment represented the first major shift of their mission timeline.
The astronauts docked with the ISS on August 1. They were scheduled to carry out dozens of complex scientific experiments and research activities during their time there. Unfortunately, for reasons not made public, the crew were directed to return home sooner than expected. This switch serves as a reminder that the world of space missions is inherently fluid and can be affected by many other factors.
Crew 11 disembarked from the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft at approximately 01:30 local time and 09:30 GMT on the day of their return. Just a few hours after departing the ISS, the crew’s home in orbit, their spacecraft began its trip back to Earth.
The crew of astronauts made an 11-hour journey, splashing down off the coast of California to a successful completion. This was a big return to muster. It was a beautiful end to their time in space and it highlighted the depth of the crew’s preparedness and adaptability as they maneuvered through evolving mission changes.