Crew-11 Undocks from ISS: Mission Control Issues 'Go for Undock' Command

Undocking Sequence Initiated

• 🚀 Mission Control has issued the "go for undock" command, initiating the separation of Crew-11's Dragon spacecraft from the International Space Station (ISS).
• ⏱️ The entire undocking process, from umbilicals retracting to Dragon being free, is expected to take approximately 4 and a half minutes.
• 🔌 Umbilicals, which provide electrical connections, power, telemetry, and commands, are the first to retract.

Dragon's Separation Maneuvers

• ⚓ Dragon will release 12 hard capture hooks in two distinct phases to unlatch from the ISS.
• ⚡ Unlike other docked vehicles, Dragon uses its Draco thrusters for a series of four departure burns to move away from the station.
• 💨 The initial departure involves two short thruster firings: the first to break the connection and the second to slowly back the spacecraft away.

Next Steps and Mission Overview

• 📍 Following separation, a phasing burn will align Dragon's trajectory with the planned splashdown site.
• 🌍 Crew-11 astronauts, including Mike Hopkins, have spent 167 days in space, completing over 2600 orbits.
• 🧑‍🚀 Mike Hopkins has accumulated 549 days in space, ranking him fourth for cumulative space flight time by a US astronaut.
• 🛰️ During their mission, the crew witnessed the arrival and departure of several visiting vehicles, including other SpaceX, Progress, Northrop Grumman, JAXA, and Soyuz missions.