Did SpaceX Successfully Bring Four Astronauts Back to Earth?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- SpaceX successfully returned four astronauts to Earth after 148 days in space.
- The mission was part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.
- The crew included astronauts from the U.S., Japan, and Russia.
- The astronauts conducted significant scientific research during their time on the ISS.
- New Crew-11 members are now conducting further experiments in space.
New Delhi, Aug 9 (NationPress) SpaceX has successfully returned four astronauts from the United States, Japan, and Russia to Earth, as confirmed by NASA on Saturday.
The astronauts include NASA members Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov, who spent approximately 148 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with the four astronauts 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 announced via a post on the social media platform X.
“Welcome home #crew10! The four-person crew spent 148 days at the @Space_Station,” NASA added.
Crew-10 marks the 10th operational astronaut mission that SpaceX has conducted to and from the ISS for NASA under the agency's Commercial Crew Program (CCP).
The crew had landed on the ISS in March and engaged in scientific research over the last five months.
“During their time in space, the crew examined changes in astronauts caused by space, blood circulation from the brain to the heart, future lunar navigation techniques, and more,” NASA officials noted in a blog post.
They also returned essential research samples secured in portable science freezers within the Dragon spacecraft for analysis back on Earth.
Their return coincides with the arrival of the four-member Crew 11 at the orbital laboratory earlier this month.
The Crew 11 consists of Commander and Pilot Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, both from NASA, along with Mission Specialists Kimiya Yui from JAXA and Oleg Platonov from Roscosmos.
During their six-month mission, the Crew-11 astronauts will perform a range of scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, including simulating lunar landings, evaluating eye protection methods for space travel, studying plant cell division in space, and more.
They will also investigate manufacturing high-quality stem cells, alternatives to antibiotics for bacterial infections, and promoting space agriculture through plant cell division, as detailed by NASA.