Thomas Pesquet’s return to Earth planned for Sunday or Monday

French astronauts are set to return to Earth after spending nearly six months on the International Space Station. A retreat that runs the risk of being interrupted by weather conditions.


Thomas Pesquet will soon be back on Earth. The return of four astronauts from the mission, called Crew-2, after a nearly six-month stay at the International Space Station (ISS), is scheduled between Sunday 7 November and Monday 8 November, depending on weather conditions.

landing in the gulf of mexico

At an altitude of about 400 kilometers, Thomas Pesquet and his companions will settle in the Dragon capsule that will leave the ISS and begin a 15-hour long descent. There are plans to land in the Gulf of Mexico. “This is not the first water landing, it will look a lot like my landing on Soyuzzo“, explains the French astronaut.

The schedule remains very uncertain, especially due to weather conditions. “We’ll still have a weather report in a few hours. If the winds are not favourable, this entire phase will be postponed for about a day.The European Space Agency’s communications director, Philippe Vilekens, explains. The weather will also prevent the immediate passing of the baton to the next crew, Crew-3, which will not fly until next week.

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