NASA SpaceX Crew-4 Astronauts Complete Mission to International Space Station, Safely Splash Down in Atlantic After Spending 170 Days in Orbit

Washington, October 15: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts, who spent 170 days in orbit aboard the Dragon spacecraft, accomplished the company’s fourth industrial crew mission to the International Space Station by safely splashing down the coast of Jacksonville, Florida on Friday.

NASA astronauts Bob Hines, Kjell Lindgren, and Jessica Watkins and ESA (European Space Company) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti returned to Earth in a parachute-assisted splashdown at 4:55 p.m. EDT. NASA Offers Nod to Uncrewed Artemis I Moon Mission on August 29 (Watch Video).

Groups aboard SpaceX restoration vessels retrieved the spacecraft and astronauts. After returning to shore, all astronauts will fly to NASA’s Johnson Space Heart in Houston. Cristoforetti then will board a aircraft to Europe.

“Welcome home Crew-4! This international crew has spent nearly six months on the International Space Station conducting science for the benefit of all. Their work aboard the orbiting laboratory will help prepare future explorers for future space missions,” mentioned NASA Administrator Invoice Nelson.

He added, “Working and living on the space station is the opportunity of a lifetime, but it also requires these explorers to make sacrifices, especially time away from loved ones. Kjell, Bob, Jessica and Samantha, thank you for your contributions over the past six months to science, innovation, and discovery!”

The Crew-4 mission launched at 3:52 a.m. EDT on April 27 on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Heart in Florida. Lower than 16 hours later, Dragon docked to the Concord module’s space-facing port. The astronauts undocked from the identical port at 12:05 p.m. on Friday, to start the journey dwelling. NASA To Launch Three Analysis Rockets From Non-public Australian Space Port.

Hines, Lindgren, Watkins, and Cristoforetti travelled 72,168,935 miles throughout their mission, spent 170 days aboard the area station, and accomplished 2,720 orbits round Earth. Lindgren has logged 311 days in area over his two flights, and with the completion of their flight at present, Cristoforetti has logged 369 days in area on her two flights, making her second on the all-time record for many days in area by a lady. The Crew-4 mission was the primary spaceflight for Hines and Watkins.

All through their mission, the Crew-4 astronauts contributed to a number of science and upkeep actions and expertise demonstrations. Cristoforetti accomplished two spacewalks with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev to carry out station upkeep and upgrades.

Crew-4 continued work on investigations documenting how enhancements to the area weight loss program have an effect on immune operate and the intestine microbiome, figuring out the impact of gasoline temperature on the flammability of a fabric, exploring attainable adversarial results on astronaut listening to from gear noise and microgravity, and learning whether or not components improve or lower the steadiness of emulsions.

The astronauts additionally investigated microgravity-induced adjustments in the human immune system related to ageing, examined a novel water-reclamation membrane, and examined a concrete various made with a fabric discovered in lunar and Martian mud. The spacecraft, named Freedom by Crew-4, will return to Florida for inspection and processing at SpaceX’s Dragon Lair, the place groups will study the spacecraft’s information and efficiency all through the flight.

The Crew-4 flight is a part of NASA’s Business Crew Program and its return to Earth follows on the heels of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 launch, which docked to the station on October 6, starting one other science expedition.

The purpose of NASA’s Business Crew Program is protected, dependable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station. This already has supplied further analysis time and has elevated the chance for discovery aboard humanity’s microgravity testbed for exploration, together with serving to NASA put together for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

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