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Sharjah 24
4 days ago
- Science
- Sharjah 24
Five astronauts depart ISS for return to Earth
Long journey home The returning astronauts — Americans Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov — are expected to spend over 17 hours in the capsule before splashing down off the coast of California at 15:33 GMT on Saturday. Milestone for NASA's Commercial Crew Programme Their return marks the conclusion of the 10th crew rotation mission under NASA's Commercial Crew Programme, which partners with private industry, including SpaceX, to send astronauts to the ISS following the retirement of the Space Shuttle. Controlled descent and recovery The Dragon capsule detached from the ISS at 22:15 GMT on Friday. Upon re-entry, the spacecraft will slow down significantly, first due to Earth's atmosphere and then with the help of large parachutes for a safe ocean landing. A SpaceX recovery ship will retrieve the capsule and bring it aboard, allowing the astronauts to breathe Earth's air for the first time in months. Scientific contributions in orbit Known as Crew-10, the team conducted numerous experiments during their mission, including research into plant growth in microgravity and how cells respond to gravitational changes. Stranded astronauts finally replaced This mission also marked a turning point for two American astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were unexpectedly stranded on the ISS for nine months after the Boeing Starliner they launched on developed propulsion issues. They had originally planned to spend just eight days in orbit. Looking ahead NASA recently announced Wilmore's retirement after 25 years of service. Meanwhile, a new crew — US astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov — arrived at the ISS last week for a six-month mission.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Science
- Straits Times
Four astronauts home from space station after successful splashdown
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov splash down after nearly five months aboard the International Space Station. WASHINGTON - An international crew of four astronauts is back home on Earth on Aug 9 after nearly five months aboard the International Space Station, returning safely in a SpaceX capsule. The spacecraft carrying US astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov splashed down off California's coast at 8.44am local time (11.34pm in Singapore). Their return marks the end of the 10th crew rotation mission to the space station under Nasa's Commercial Crew Programme, which was created to succeed the Space Shuttle era by partnering with private industry. The Dragon capsule of billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX company detached from the International Space Station (ISS) at 2215 GMT on Aug 8 (6.15am on Aug 9 in Singapore). The capsule's dizzying, 17-hour drop back down to Earth was slowed when it re-entered the atmosphere, then further reined in by the deployment of huge parachutes. After the capsule splashed down, it was recovered by a SpaceX ship and hoisted aboard. Only then were the astronauts able to breathe Earth's air again, for the first time in months. The astronaut team, 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 allowed two US astronauts to return home after being unexpectedly stuck onboard the space station for nine months. When they launched in June 2024, Mr Butch Wilmore and Ms 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 Mr 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.
