This video provides live coverage of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft "Grace" as it undocks from the International Space Station (ISS), beginning the journey home for the four-person Axiom Mission 4 (AX-4) crew. The broadcast follows the final pre-departure procedures, including a brief 10-minute delay for system reviews, leading into the fully autonomous undocking sequence. It captures the key milestones of the initial departure, including the successful physical separation, the execution of thruster burns, and the spacecraft's exit from the station's "keepout sphere" and "approach ellipsoid" safety zones. The coverage concludes as prime mission responsibility is handed over from the joint NASA/SpaceX team to SpaceX and Axiom Space, marking the start of the crew's 22.5-hour trip back to Earth for a planned splashdown.
Axiom Mission 4: The Journey Home Begins
0:00:05 Mission Overview: The live broadcast begins in anticipation of the SpaceX Dragon's departure, carrying the Axiom Mission 4 (AX-4) crew. The crew is returning to Earth after a successful 18-day mission aboard the ISS, where they conducted over 60 scientific studies.
0:03:11 The Return Journey: The crew's flight home is expected to last approximately 22.5 hours, culminating in a splashdown off the coast of California. The process involves a series of autonomous burns, trunk separation, re-entry, and parachute deployment.
0:07:12 Autonomous Undocking Process: Dragon's departure is a fully autonomous 4.5-minute sequence. It begins with the retraction of power and data umbilicals, followed by the release of 12 hard capture hooks that physically hold the spacecraft to the station.
0:08:34 10-Minute Delay: Ground control announces a 10-minute delay to the undocking sequence to perform a final system review and improve communications. The new separation time is scheduled for 7:15 a.m. Eastern.
0:11:11 Returning Science and Cargo: Along with the crew, Dragon is returning over 580 pounds of critical cargo, including samples from 60 scientific experiments that will be offloaded and sent to researchers after splashdown.
0:21:03 "Go" for Undocking: Following a final poll, the joint NASA and SpaceX ground teams, along with the AX-4 crew, confirm they are "go" to proceed with the undocking.
0:29:22 Official Undocking: At 7:15 a.m. Eastern, the Dragon spacecraft officially separates from the ISS as it flies 260 miles over the east coast of India. The first of four departure thruster burns is completed successfully.
0:35:09 Crew Prepares for Flight: With the spacecraft safely away from the station, the crew receives the "go" to doff (remove) their pressure suits and get comfortable for the long journey home.
0:37:13 Keepout Sphere Exit: Dragon successfully exits the "keepout sphere," an invisible 200-meter safety boundary around the ISS, marking a key milestone in the departure.
0:49:19 Approach Ellipsoid Exit & Mission Handover: The spacecraft exits the larger "approach ellipsoid" safety zone, placing it on a 24-hour safe trajectory. Prime responsibility for the mission is officially handed over from the joint NASA team to SpaceX and Axiom Space, at which point the live coverage concludes.