Veteran NASA astronaut Don Pettit returns to Earth on 70th birthday
April 20 (UPI) -- Veteran NASA astronaut Don Pettit celebrated his 70th birthday as he returned to Earth from a seven-month stay at the International Space Station, during which he completed Expeditions 71 and 72.
Pettit is the oldest currently serving astronaut in the U.S. and has flown to space four times, logging some 590 days in orbit throughout his career. He is the second-oldest American astronaut to visit space after John Glenn's famed 1998 mission at the age of 77.
"The feeling of being home is directly proportional to how far you have traveled. When going out to dinner, you feel home when pulling into the driveway," Pettit wrote in a post on social media ahead of his return.
"When our capsule goes thump on those desert flats, I will be literally on the opposite side of Earth, nearly 12000 miles from home. Yet I will be home. I can picture sometime in the future, a crew returning from Mars and after inserting themselves into low Earth orbit, they will look down at this blue jewel circling below and say, 'I am Home.'"
Pettit on Saturday evening returned to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft that landed in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, with Roscosmos cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. The crew left the space station around 5:57 p.m. EDT on Saturday before landing around 6:20 a.m. Kazakhstan time on Sunday.
NASA said in a news release Saturday that the three crew members, after landing, would then fly on a helicopter from the landing site to the recovery staging city of Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Pettit would then return home to Houston on a NASA plane.
Pettit first went to space as a science officer during Expedition 6, launching aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in November 2002 and returning in May 2003 aboard a Russian Soyuz capsule after the Columbia disaster grounded the shuttle fleet.
The astronaut again voyaged to the ISS for a 15-day stay in 2008 to deliver equipment and supplies to enable larger crews to stay at the space station. He was then on-board the ISS again in 2012 when he participated in the first capture and berthing of a commercial spacecraft, the SpaceX Dragon, to the ISS.
During his most recent visit, Pettit conducted research to enhance the capabilities of in-orbit metal 3D printing and advance water sanitization technologies, NASA said in a news release. He also explored plant growth under varying water conditions and investigated fire behavior in microgravity.
Beyond his scientific work, the astronaut is also popular with the public for his unique astrophotography, capturing artistic photographs of Earth as seen from space.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Project Beep, a confidential airspace firm, to lease land for $247M Merritt Island facility
Space Florida has authorized leasing 25 acres on northern Merritt Island for Project Beep, an undisclosed aerospace company that plans to build a future quarter-billion-dollar facility and create about 1,000 jobs just outside NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Little information has been publicly released about this confidential company. "It captures the increasing pace of activity around the world's busiest spaceport," Space Florida President and CEO Rob Long said during the authority's May 28 board of directors meeting. "Obviously, we welcome this growth and are excited about the bright future for the space industry here in Florida." By unanimous vote, Space Florida authorized completion of negotiations for a 30-year Project Beep lease for the last two remaining parcels of the opening phase of Exploration Park, which is managed in partnership with NASA. "Project Beep intends to set up manufacturing, research and development, laboratory, warehousing and office facilities to support aerospace operation at Cape Canaveral Spaceport," said Howard Haug, Space Florida executive vice president, treasurer and chief investment officer. "The project estimates total investment of $247 million and expects creating approximately 1,000 jobs at industry-average wages." During a post-meeting press conference, Long said Project Beep officials are still looking at building structural designs, and Space Florida will work with the mystery company on that topic during the next several months. Statewide, Space Florida reported it is pursuing 204 business opportunities. The Space Coast leads the way with 51 potential deals, followed by Central Florida with 28 opportunities and the western Panhandle with 24. The Space Florida meeting kicked off 3½ hours after SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center into low-Earth orbit on another Starlink mission. The liftoff marked the 45th orbital rocket launch thus far this year from Florida's Space Coast. For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter. Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@ Twitter/X: @RickNeale1 Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Space Florida to lease land for Project Beep aerospace firm, 1,000 jobs
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jared Isaacman no longer in running for NASA Administrator role, per White House
(This article has been updated to include a statement by Isaacman released to the public and a Truth Social post from President Trump.) With the new NASA budget proposal that includes deep cuts heading to Congress and NASA still without a leader, a surprise twist came May 31: Jared Isaacman was being dropped as President Trump's choice to become the next NASA administrator. Isaacman's confirmation as the head of NASA had been expected Monday. But instead the White House announced Isaacman was no longer in the running. Trump said on Truth Social that he will propose a new nominee. "After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space." The associations that Trump was referring to appeared to be political donations that Isaacman had given in the past to Democrats, according to media reports. Back on April 30, Isaacman, the businessman-turned-SpaceX astronaut was voted favorably on by a Senate committee with a vote of 19-9, moving his confirmation ahead for a final vote. He'd appeared to have won the support of many in the space community and in Congress. "The Trump Administration offered an unconventional and inspired choice in Jared Isaacman to lead NASA forward. It is unfortunate that the nomination was rescinded so late in the process. NASA has already been suffering from lack of leadership at the top since the start of the second Trump Administration," said Laura Forczyk, a space consultant. Many space industry leaders and astronauts argued that Isaacman would bring the right vision to NASA at a time when the space agency faces a challenge from China for supremacy in space. His close association with SpaceX's Elon Musk prompted some questions but didn't seem to be a stumbling block. When is the next launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, Axiom, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral This sudden shakeup in who Trump wants to lead NASA comes as the NASA budget looks headed toward some deep cuts. The White House's budget proposal calls for slashing NASA science, and cancelling the SLS moon rocket after the Artemis III mission as well as dropping the Gateway lunar space station. On the night of May 31, Isaacman released a statement on X (formerly Twitter), in which he thanked President Trump and the Senate. Isaacman said America and NASA deserve a dedicated NASA Administrator. "The past six months have been enlightening and, honestly, a bit thrilling," Isaacman wrote. "I have gained a much deeper appreciation for the complexities of government and the weight our political leaders carry." He added: "I have not flown my last mission — whatever form that may ultimately take — but I remain incredibly optimistic that humanity's greatest spacefaring days lie ahead." Isaacman has been to space twice under his private SpaceX-based spaceflight ventures, Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn. Both missions flew on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets and Dragon capsules. The most recent expedition drew plenty of headlines in September 2024 when Isaacman flew with an all-civilian crew of amateur spacefarers in a SpaceX Dragon − two of whom were SpaceX employees. During the mission, known as Polaris Dawn, the four-member crew ascended to 870 miles above Earth's surface – higher than any crewed vehicle has traveled since NASA's Apollo era ended in the 1970s. Two days into the mission, they became the first non-government astronauts to complete a spacewalk when both Isaacman and crew member Sarah Gillis exited the Dragon capsule separately for about 10 minutes each to take in the endless black expanse of outer space. The purpose of the spacewalk was to test the SpaceX spacesuit, making it the first spacewalk by a private company. Isaacman being dropped as Trump's proposed nominee came a day after Musk stood in the Oval Office with Trump to announce that he was stepping back from his intense work leading the Department of Government Efficiency. While Musk has come under heavy criticism, Trump continued to speak highly of the billionaire. Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@ or on X: @brookeofstars. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Jared Isaacman dropped by White House as choice to be NASA Administrator
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
First quarter moon will grace the sky on June 2. How to catch a glimpse.
Half of the moon will be illuminated as it reaches its first quarter phase on Monday, June 2. The first quarter phase marks the quarter point on the moon's monthly journey, according to NASA. During this position, the moon's illuminated side is half-lit, according to the agency. A first-quarter moon is ideal for observing here on Earth, NASA says, because it rises in the afternoon — around noon — and is high above the horizon in the evening before setting around midnight. Here's what to know about the first quarter phase and how to best view the moon. The moon has both a day and night side, with the sun always illuminating half of the moon. The portion of the illuminated half changes as the moon travels through its orbit. First quarter is the third phase of the moon's eight lunar phases. The cycle repeats about every 29.5 days, according to NASA. During the first quarter phase, one half of the moon will appear illuminated by direct sunlight, per NASA. However, even though the moon is half-visible from Earth during first quarter, it's not actually a half moon. According to NASA, during first quarter, only half of the moon's illuminated half is visible on Earth. A full moon is technically a half moon, because the sun is illuminating the full day side of the moon during that phase, per NASA. According to NASA, the moon will reach first quarter, or 50% illuminated, just before 11 p.m. EST, in the Northern Hemisphere on June 2. The exact timing will differ based on location. On the East Coast, the moon is expected to be at first quarter around 11:40 p.m. EST, according to The next first quarter phase will be on July 2, according to NASA. The moon's first quarter phase will be visible here on Earth. For those looking to catch a glimpse, NASA recommends a set of binoculars or a telescope, which will highlight the moon's texture and terrain. However, bare eyes also work. With no tools on hand, NASA says to look carefully and give your eyes time plenty of time to adjust — what you can see will vary based on your eyesight. When eyeballing the moon, you'll mostly see areas of either white or gray. The gray patches, called lunar maria or seas, are solidified volcanic lavas, according to NASA. NASA has a daily viewing guide which highlights the lunar maria that you may be able to see from Earth. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Moon to reach first quarter, lighting half on June 2. What to know.
