Image: @NASA
New Delhi: SpaceX has safely returned four astronauts from the United States, Japan, and Russia to Earth, NASA announced on Saturday.
NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov landed back on Earth after spending approximately 148 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying the crew splashed down off the coast of San Diego, California, at 11:33 a.m. EDT (9:03 p.m. IST). “Splashdown of Dragon confirmed!” SpaceX posted on social media platform X. “Welcome home #Crew10! The four-person crew spent 148 days at the @Space_Station,” NASA added.
Crew-10 marked SpaceX’s 10th operational astronaut mission to and from the ISS for NASA under the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. The astronauts had arrived at the station in March, engaging in nearly five months of scientific research.
During their mission, they investigated the mental and physical effects of space on astronauts, studied blood flow from the brain to the heart, explored navigation techniques for future lunar missions, and conducted other experiments. The crew also brought back vital research samples stored in portable science freezers aboard Dragon for analysis on Earth.
Their return coincided with the arrival of the four-member Crew-11 earlier this month. Crew-11 consists of Commander Zena Cardman and Pilot Mike Fincke from NASA, Mission Specialist Kimiya Yui from JAXA, and Mission Specialist Oleg Platonov from Roscosmos.
Over their six-month stay, Crew-11 will carry out a range of scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, including simulating lunar landings, testing eye protection methods for space travel, and studying how plant cells divide in microgravity. They will also research manufacturing high-quality stem cells, developing alternatives to antibiotics for bacterial infections, and enhancing plant cell division to support future space agriculture, NASA said.
With IANS inputs