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An international crew of astronauts returned safely to Earth in SpaceX Dragon Endurance After spending nearly six months aboard the International Space Station preparing NASA for deep space missions before its imminent return to the Moon.
The four people who were part of NASA-funded Crew-7 mission It made a hard landing Tuesday morning when it fell into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. After the spacecraft touched down at 5:47 a.m. ET, the rescue ship took the crew to shore before they were airlifted to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. He said.
Their return culminates a 199-day mission that saw explorers from Russia, Europe, the United States and Japan launch in late August aboard a Falcon 9 rocket heading to the famous space station. Members of Crew-7 spent their mission in low Earth orbit contributing to a variety of scientific experiments, some of which were to help prepare NASA for future manned lunar missions under its Artemis program as it sets the stage for missions to Mars.
One of the crew members, NASA astronaut Yasmine Moghbeli, was part of a rare all-female spacewalk.
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Who was part of SpaceX Crew-7?
My future He was the only American who was part of the four-man Crew-7 crew It was launched on August 26 From NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The crew also included Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov and Danish cosmonaut Andreas Mogensen With the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Satoshi Furukawa.
It took the crew about 30 hours after takeoff Sidewalk To the International Space Station Harmony unit outlet.
During their stay, the four astronauts traveled more than 84.4 million miles and completed 3,184 orbits around the Earth, NASA said. While Mogensen has now logged 209 days in space in two flights, and Furukawa has logged 366 days, the mission marks the first spaceflight for Mogbele and Borisov.
The Crew-7 flight was part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program in which the space agency participates Partnership with private companies Such as SpaceX to transport trained astronauts to the space station for scientific missions. The eighth crew, made up of three NASA astronauts and one astronaut, launched on March 3 and docked on March 5, just days before their predecessors were set to depart on Monday.
The partnership with private industry is intended to free NASA to focus on building spacecraft and rockets for deep space missions.
“This international crew showed that space unites us all,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. “It is clear that we can do more – we can learn more – when we work together.”
What did the crew do on board the International Space Station?
The crew was able to act Hundreds of experiments During the science and research mission, including the first study of human response to different durations of spaceflight.
NASA said they also conducted experiments on growing food on the space station, a critical capability required for future deep space missions and long-duration manned missions.
In November, Moghbeli conducted a spacewalk with a fellow NASA astronaut Laurel O'HaraWhich made it a rare moment when two women exited the station to complete maintenance work in the vacuum of space. Together, the astronauts replaced one of the 12 bearing assemblies on the Alpha Solar Rotor Joint, allowing it to rotate properly and generate electricity to power the orbital complex.
As NASA looks to send future manned missions to the moon and beyond, Nelson said the experiments will contribute to the knowledge needed to send humans into the universe.
If NASA can launch its delayed Artemis 2 mission to circumnavigate the moon by the expected end of 2025, it will be the first crewed lunar mission since the space agency's Apollo program ended in 1972. Eventually, the US agency hopes to once again send astronauts to the moon's surface. Same in 2026 for Artemis III to establish a base of operations before trips to Mars.
“The scientific experiments conducted during their time in space will help prepare for NASA's bold missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond, all while benefiting humanity here on Earth,” Nelson said.
Eric Lagata covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Contact him at [email protected]
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