Crew-10 undocks from International Space Station
The undocking was scheduled for 6:05 p.m. EDT and it was confirmed at 6:30 p.m. The hatch was closed at 4:20 p.m.
Dragon then executed a series of departure burns as the spacecraft moved away from the ISS, which orbits the Earth approximately 250 miles away.
Dragon will enter the Earth's atmosphere with splashdown targeted for 8:33 a.m. PDT Saturday off the Southern California coast.
The movement can be tracked on SpaceX's website.
This will be the first time a crewed mission will splash down in the Pacific Ocean after SpaceX's recovery ship Shannon moved in December from Port Canaveral, Fla., to near Long Beach.
Afterward, the four Crew-10 members will be flown to Houston.
Crew-10 launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on March 14 from the Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A and arrived at the ISS two days later. They relieved crew members, who included two astronauts, Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Suni Willoiams from Boeing's beleaguered Starliner spacecraft.
The undocking of the Dragon, called Endurance, was scheduled for Thursday afternoon, but high winds in the splashdown area delayed it.
Those aboard the NASA/Space X Crew-10 are NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. Science samples will return with them.
"Crew-10 has had the absolute privilege of working here for the last four months, and we have so much gratitude for all of the ground teams that showed up every day to make this possible," McClain said during a farewell ceremony on Tuesday on the space station.
"We truly are very humbled to represent humanity, and we hope that we can be a reminder to others of the goodness of humanity and what we really can accomplish when we work together," she added.
It was Endurance's fourth mission dating to 2021.
SpaceX's Crew-11 members Zena Cardman, Mike Fincke, Kimiya Yui and Oleg Platonov docked at the space station Saturday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
42 minutes ago
- USA Today
Perseid meteor shower nears its 2025 peak, but viewing might be 'hampered'
It's that time of year again, and the peak of what's revered as the 'best meteor shower of the year' is approaching. The Perseid meteor shower is considered the best of the year due to how many meteors viewers can see, about 50 to 100 per hour, according to NASA. Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through streams of debris left behind by comets and asteroids, according to the Natural History Museum in London. A meteor shower peak occurs when Earth passes through the thickest part of the debris stream; that's when viewers see the highest rate of meteors. Here's more on the Perseids, how to check them out, and why this year's display could be diminished. When is the Perseid meteor shower? While the Perseid meteor shower is active from July 17 to Aug. 23, the peak is between Aug. 12 and 13 during pre-dawn hours, NASA said. It may be possible to see meteors from the shower as early as 10 p.m. though, according to NASA. Why this year's Perseid shower might be 'hampered' During this year's peak on Aug. 12, the Perseid meteor shower may be "hampered" due to an 84%-full moon, NASA said. "Unfortunately, this year the Moon is nearly full on the peak night, and its glare will wash out all but the brightest meteors," NASA wrote. 'A few bright meteors may still be seen in the pre-dawn hours, but viewing conditions are not ideal,' NASA wrote, adding that skywatchers could look forward to another favorite meteor shower, the Geminids, which is set for "moon-free viewing in December." Sky condition, or the average amount of the sky covered with thick clouds, also plays a role in how well viewers can see the meteor shower. The night of Tuesday, Aug. 12, sky cover will be higher in southeastern U.S. states such as Georgia and North Carolina. Gray areas on the below map are expected to have higher sky cover in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Aug. 12, according to a National Weater Service forecast posted Aug. 8. How to see the Perseid meteor shower According to NASA, some tips for seeing meteor showers include: Perseid meteor shower has bright lights, fireballs The Perseid meteor shower peaks in mid-August each year, NASA said, giving viewers the chance to peer at bright meteors that leave long "wakes" of light and color behind them as they move through the Earth's atmosphere. Perseids are also known for fireballs, or larger explosions of light and color that can last longer than the average meteor streak and are brighter, NASA said. The meteor shower moves at the fast rate of 37 miles per second or 133,200 miles per hour, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS). Where did the Perseid meteor shower get its name? The meteors are called Perseids since they come from the part of the sky near the constellation of Perseus, named after the Greek hero, the AMS said. 'The constellation for which a meteor shower is named only serves to aid viewers in determining which shower they are viewing on a given night,' NASA said about the name. 'The constellation is not the source of the meteors.' The Perseids are particles released from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle as it returns to the inner solar system, the organizations said. Comet Swift-Tuttle takes 133 years to orbit the Sun once, and it last visited the inner solar system in 1992. Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
The Largest Space Tech IPO of the Year Just Launched, With a $6.3 Billion Valuation. Can the Stock Go to the Moon?
Key Points Firefly Aerospace has notched some operational successes with its rockets and lunar lander. The company's partnerships with major industry players could be advantageous. But Firefly's incomplete financial and management picture should give investors pause. 10 stocks we like better than Firefly Aerospace › Firefly Aerospace (NASDAQ: FLY) just pulled off its second-most impressive launch of the year. The most impressive launch came in January, when the company sent its new uncrewed Blue Ghost module to the moon. The mission's success gave Firefly bragging rights as the first U.S. company to execute a fully successful soft lunar landing (that is, landing without causing serious damage to the module). It also generated a huge wave of interest in the company. That interest is clearly still white-hot, because Firefly's Thursday IPO launched the company onto the Nasdaq at a valuation of $6.3 billion. Can it rocket even higher? Or will it fall back to earth? What Firefly actually does Fans of the canceled-way-too-soon space Western Firefly will be sad to learn that the company's name isn't actually related to the TV series. Instead, it's a name Firefly founder Tom Markusic -- a former SpaceX and Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE) engineer -- selected to embody a hypothetical future in which rocket launches are as common in the night sky as fireflies. Indeed, Firefly Aerospace has gone all-in on making launches more frequent and more accessible. It developed the Alpha rocket, a smaller, lighter rocket manufactured from carbon fiber composites that launched a satellite into orbit with just 24 hours' notice in 2023. While the Alpha is certainly lighter (and thus, less expensive to launch) than most other commercial rockets, the roughly one-ton payload capacity is somewhat restrictive: Firefly's Blue Ghost lunar lander, for example, was too heavy for the Alpha rocket and had to be launched using a SpaceX Falcon 9. Firefly is also working on the Elytra orbital vehicle and lunar imaging service Ocula. The company has nine planned non-test missions through 2029: five for NASA, one for the U.S. Space Force, and three for commercial clients, for a total current project backlog of $1.1 billion. Why its stock might take off... With more companies (and people) heading to space, demand for cheaper spaceflight is likely to skyrocket (no pun intended). As a company offering a more affordable rocket that has already had successful launches, Firefly is well ahead of many would-be competitors. Additionally, Firefly is receiving investment and support from industry heavyweights including Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and L3Harris (NYSE: LHX). In May, Firefly received a $50 million investment from Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC). Being in the good graces of such major aerospace players is a big advantage for the start-up, both financially and reputationally. Today's commercial space industry is a fairly crowded place, with companies big and small jockeying for limited funds and contracts. However, early success tends to encourage investment, which fuels future success. Firefly seems to have all the right ingredients, including an active contract pipeline, major industry partnerships, and a few successful early missions. If it can keep it up, it could be the next maybe an even bigger success story. ...and why it might not For an 11-year-old company, Firefly has had a checkered past, which includes IP issues, a 2017 bankruptcy, government intervention over national security concerns, and an abrupt July 2024 CEO departure (current CEO Jason Kim took the helm in October 2024). Meanwhile, private equity firm AE Industrial Partners controls the company with a 40.9% stake; the firm's employees currently hold five of Firefly's nine board seats. As the IPO prospectus notes, "AE Industrial Partners controls us, and its interests may conflict with ours or yours in the future." That's...a lot, and we haven't even gotten to the company's financials. Because it's an IPO, we don't even have a full quarterly financial report from Firefly yet. But its IPO prospectus shows a net loss of about $125 million in the first half of 2025, along with negative free cash flow of about $97.5 million, with just $205.3 million in cash on its balance sheet and $173.6 million in debt. Not a pretty picture. Now, it's not unusual for new start-ups to have high net losses and negative free cash flow, but given the lack of context and details, it's worth asking: Does this business deserve a $6.3 billion valuation? How about $8.4 billion, which the company briefly hit on its first day of public trading Thursday? To me, that seems pretty expensive for an unproven business with opaque financials in a competitive, high-risk industry that's controlled by a venture capital firm and led by a brand new CEO. Before I'd buy shares, I'd want to at least see a few quarterly reports to get a clearer picture of how the company operates. It would still be a risky bet, but right now it feels too risky to buy. Should you buy stock in Firefly Aerospace right now? Before you buy stock in Firefly Aerospace, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Firefly Aerospace wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $653,427!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,119,863!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of August 4, 2025 John Bromels has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends L3Harris Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends Lockheed Martin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The Largest Space Tech IPO of the Year Just Launched, With a $6.3 Billion Valuation. Can the Stock Go to the Moon? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sean Duffy's NASA Order To Put A Nuclear Reactor On The Moon Is A Lunar Land Grab
With the turmoil at NASA over severe budget cuts, it's easy to forget the space agency is trying to return astronauts to the Moon and get there before America's geopolitical rivals. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is expected to announce plans this week for NASA to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon, throwing down another gauntlet in a new space race against China and Russia. While NASA has explored powering a moon base with a reactor since 2018, the Trump administration is accelerating plans to draw a border on the lunar surface. Duffy's directive orders NASA to prepare a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor for launch by 2030, according to Politico. It might seem like an absurd prospect, but it's a necessity for a permanent human presence on the lunar on the Moon. While the International Space Station relies on solar power, it's not a viable form of electricity generation for long-term stays at humanity's most exclusive campsite. A lunar day is 28 Earth days long. There are 14 days of relentless sunshine followed by 14 days of complete darkness. Nuclear power is the most effective way to generate electricity at night, 238,900 miles from the nearest coal mine. The agency awarded three $5 million contracts back in 2022 to develop an initial design. Lockheed Martin, Westinghouse and IX were each tasked with designing a 40-kilowatt reactor with a 10-year service life that weighs less than 6.6 tons. Read more: Save Your Engine: 5 Tips For Preventing And Cleaning Carbon Buildup A Reactor Keep-Out Zone Would Essentially Be Sovereign American Territory On The Moon While the Artemis reactor development would improve nuclear power plants here on Earth and benefit the general public, Duffy's first big splash as interim NASA Administrator is a land grab. His directive mentions that the first country to put a reactor on the Moon could "declare a keep-out zone" around the miniature power station. While it makes sense to secure the area around a running nuclear reactor, there's no precedent for how large the exclusion zone should be. The United States could indirectly claim a swath of the Moon as the country's sovereign territory. Before we worry about Shackleton Crater becoming an unincorporated American territory, NASA has to get a reactor there first. The Artemis program has been plagued with delays. Artemis III, the program's first landing, is scheduled for 2027. Development delays with SpaceX's Starship, the mission's contracted lander, could push the launch back even further or scrap the landing from the mission entirely. The first habitat is stated to be planted on the lunar surface during Artemis VIII in 2033. This doesn't factor in that the White House has cancelled the Space Launch System for Artemis to shift to commercial launch partners with non-existent Moon-capable rockets. Godspeed to the lowest bidder. China And Russia Have Their Own Plans For A Lunar Nuclear Reactor While the blue corner is in shambles, NASA's opponent in the red corner is ready to pounce. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) is planning to build its own nuclear-powered moon base, with Roscosmos as a close partner. The Sino-Russian project is called the International Lunar Research Station and involves 11 other nations, a rival alliance to NASA's Artemis Accords. Their path forward is straightforward. The uncrewed Chang'e 8 mission will scout conditions for a moon base near the lunar south pole in 2029. Chang'e 8 will also be a dry run for the mission to land two taikonauts on the Moon by 2030. The International Lunar Research Station would be constructed over five further missions with launches on an annual basis. According to Deutsche Welle, CNSA and Roscosmos plan on building their base's nuclear reactor by 2035. It's safe to say that NASA astronauts would be invited over for any sleepovers at the Sino-Russian moon base. Don't Expect NASA To Get Back Together With Roscosmos Long-Term While NASA and Roscosmos have been frequent collaborators in space since Apollo-Soyuz in 1975, the partnership has been on the ropes since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The United States now threatens to sanction countries that partner with Roscosmos. Maintaining the International Space Station is the only thing that keeps the two sides on speaking terms. Both space agencies announced last week that they have agreed to extend ISS operations until 2028. In recent years, both roommates in low Earth orbit have jeopardized the ISS and the lives of everyone on board. Russia, a space-faring power in decline, has struggled to properly maintain its half of the station. NASA fears that a Russian transfer tunnel leaking pounds of air into space could fail catastrophically and rip the ISS apart. On the other hand, the American agency put the troubled Boeing Starliner in a position where it could have tumbled out of control into the station. Maybe Elon Musk plunging the ISS into the Pacific Ocean is for the best. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
