As his year-long mission aboard the International Space Station draws to a close, Expedition 46 commander Scott Kelly of NASA gives a final in-flight news conference with U.S. media on Feb. 25. Kelly and cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko and Sergey Volkov are preparing for their return to Earth on March 1, U.S. time, aboard the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft.
Atlas 5
Boeing delays first Starliner test flight to August, NASA extends duration of first crew mission
Boeing said Tuesday the first orbital test flight of its commercial crew capsule, named the Starliner, will be delayed until August “in order to avoid unnecessary schedule pressure” and give priority on the Atlas 5 rocket’s manifest to a U.S. Air Force communications satellite. NASA confirmed Wednesday that officials have approved an extension of the Starliner’s first crewed mission to last up to several months.
Mission Reports
Crew Dragon astronauts pack up for return to Earth
Crew Dragon astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken thanked their space station crewmates for a productive two-month visit, readied their SpaceX capsule for departure and stood by for a final “go” from flight controllers to undock Saturday night, setting up a Gulf of Mexico splashdown Sunday afternoon.