SOYUZ MS-20 RETURN, Dec 19, 2021, Kazakhstan, 10:13 pm ET

Update, December 19, 6:50 pm ET:  Soyuz MS-20 just undocked.  NASA commentator Brandi Dean said landing is at 10:13 pm ET, not 10:18 pm ET.

Original Entry: The three-person crew of Soyuz MS-20 is scheduled to return to Earth on December 19, 2021 landing in the steppes of Kazakshtan at 10:18 pm Eastern Standard Time (December 20, 9:18 am local time at the landing site).

NASA TV originally announced it would provide coverage of hatch closing, undocking, and landing as follows:

Sunday, Dec. 19

3 p.m. – NASA TV coverage begins for hatch closing at 3:32 p.m.

6:30 p.m. – NASA TV coverage begins for undocking at 6:54 p.m.

9 p.m. – NASA TV coverage begins for deorbit and landing. Landing is targeted for 10:18 p.m.

However, on December 19, the NASA TV schedule shows hatch closing at 3:30 pm (not 3:32), undocking at 6:50 pm (not 6:54) and landing at 10:13 pm (not 10:18).

The NASA ISS blog agrees undocking is at 6:50 pm ET, but keeps the landing time as 10:18 pm ET.

Further time refinements by a minute or two are possible.

The crew is composed of one Russian professional cosmonaut and two Japanese space tourists:

• Alexander Misurkin, Roscosmos cosmonaut
• Yusaku Maezawa, spaceflight participant (Japanese billionaire)
• Yozo Hirano, spaceflight participant (Maezawa’s production assistant who will document the flight

They are scheduled to launch and dock at the ISS on December 8.  See separate Calendar entry for that.