CANAVERAL, FL - APRIL 8: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from launch complex 39A carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft on a commercial mission managed by Axion Space at Kennedy Space Center April 8, 2022 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The first fully private crew on an 10-day mission to the International Space Station is commanded by former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria ,who works for Axiom, paying passengers Larry Connor, Pilot, Mark Pathy and Eytan Sibbe. Red Huber/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by RED HUBER / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
“HOMEWARD BOUND! 5 ASTRONAUTS BEGIN DESCENT TO EARTH ABOARD SpaceX DRAGON AFTER 5 MONTHS IN SPACE”
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS–An international crew of five astronauts embarked on their journey back to Earth on Friday, marking the end of their nearly five-month stay on the International Space Station.
The astronauts, comprising US astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan’s Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, are expected to spend over 17 hours in the SpaceX capsule before splashing down off California’s coast at 1533 GMT on Saturday.
The Crew-10 Mission Highlights:
– SpaceX Dragon’s Smooth Ride: The capsule will slow down using re-entry drag and giant parachutes for a controlled ocean landing.
– Astronauts’ Return Journey: After splashing down, the astronauts will be recovered by a SpaceX ship and finally breathe fresh Earth air for the first time in months.
– Commercial Crew Program Milestone: This mission marks the end of the 10th crew rotation under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which partners with private industry to succeed the Space Shuttle era
The astronauts conducted numerous scientific experiments during their time on the space station, including studying plant growth and cellular responses to gravity. Their successful return will conclude a significant milestone in space exploration
Only then will the astronauts be able to breathe Earth’s air again, for the first time in months.
The astronauts, known as Crew-10, conducted numerous scientific experiments during their time on the space station, including studying plant growth and how cells react to gravity.
Their launch into space in March was heavily scrutinised because it finally allowed two US astronauts—who had been unexpectedly stuck onboard the space station for nine months—to return home.
When they launched in June 2024, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were only supposed to spend eight days in space on a test of the Boeing Starliner’s first crewed flight.
However, the spaceship developed propulsion problems and was deemed unfit to fly back, leaving them stranded in space.
NASA announced this week that Wilmore has decided to retire after 25 years of service at the US space agency.
Last week, US astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan’s Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov boarded the ISS for a six-month mission.
SOURCE ==AFP==EXCEPT THE HEADLINE AND INTRO
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