Five astronauts depart space station en route home leaving Earth behind
Crew‑10 Arrives Back From the ISS
The International Space Station turned its final 10th crew home after nearly five months of research. The United States, Japan and Russia team floated inside the SpaceX Dragon capsule and began a 17‑hour descent that concluded with a splashdown off California’s coast at 1533 GMT on Saturday.
Return Journey
The Dragon dropped from the station at 2215 GMT on Friday, then slowed its fall through atmospheric entry and massive parachutes before it landed on the sea. A SpaceX sea vessel will ultimately recover the capsule and hoist the astronauts aboard. Only after that recovery will the astronauts bark at Earth’s air once more.
Mission Highlights
- Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers (US) performed plant‑growth studies and examined cellular responses to microgravity.
- Takuya Onishi (Japan) and Kirill Peskov (Russia) investigated the behavior of biological systems outside Earth’s pull.
- The crew’s launch in March was a milestone, finally allowing two US astronauts—who had been unexpectedly stranded for nine months—to return home.
Earlier Issues
When the Boeing Starliner flew in June 2024, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were slated for an eight‑day test. However, propulsion problems doomed the ship, leaving the pair trapped in orbit. NASA announced Wilmore’s retirement after 25 years of service this week.
New Six‑Month Mission
Last week, the US duo Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke along with Kimiya Yui (Japan) and Oleg Platonov (Russia) boarded the ISS for a six‑month rotation, continuing the station’s legacy of international collaboration.
