12 Kolkata: As the Space X Dragon capsule, carrying stranded NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore along with compatriot Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, started its 19.5-crore-km journey, spanning 17 hours, from the ISS to Earth, officials at BITM in Kolkata were busy organising a live telecast. The splashdown was slated for 3.30 am India time on Wednesday near the Florida coast.
"We will live-stream the re-entry of astronauts Williams and Wilmore into the Earth's atmosphere till Space X Dragon capsule touches down on the water off the Florida coast. We are all extremely excited about their return after being stranded on the ISS for nearly nine months. After we announced the live-streaming, we have had several enquiries. We expect a decent turnout for the event," said BITM acting director Arnab Chatterjee.
NASA's live coverage of SpaceX Crew-9's return begins with Dragon spacecraft hatch closure preparations at 8.15 pm India time on Tuesday. BITM's telecast is scheduled from approximately 2.15 am till 3.30 am. BITM had initially planned to conduct a workshop on the return mission but altered its plans after receiving numerous enquiries about live coverage from various groups, including that of students. BITM plans to display an ISS model and deliver mission presentations, along with the lawn screening. Despite the late timing potentially affecting student attendance, organisers anticipate dedicated young enthusiasts, attending with parents.
The return journey holds particular significance due to Williams's Indian heritage and memories of the tragic Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on Feb 1, 2003, which claimed Indian American Kalpana Chawla and six other astronauts during re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere. Williams and Wilmore have remained on the ISS since June 2024 due to Boeing's Starliner capsule malfunction.