NASA-SpaceX Crew-5 astronauts return from ISS after five-month mission
The NASA-SpaceX Crew-5 mission has officially come to an end. Four astronauts, who spent five months aboard the International Space Station (ISS), returned to Earth via a SpaceX Dragon capsule known as Endurance, on Sunday (March 12). The list of passengers included cosmonaut Anna Kikina of Russia, Koichi Wakata from Japan, and NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Nicole Mann.
Here's how the Endurance made its way to Earth
The Endurance was undocked from the ISS on Saturday at 2.20 am EST (12.50 pm IST). It then performed several maneuvers to chart a course for atmospheric reentry toward Earth. Finally, with the help of parachutes, it splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near the coast of Tampa Bay, Florida in the US at 9.02 pm EST (7.32 am IST, Sunday).
The Crew-5 mission was one of several firsts
The Crew-5 mission was the first space trip for Kikina, Mann, and Cassada. However, for Wakata, it was his fifth flight. He has now clocked 505 days in space- a record for the Japanese. Kikina is the first Russian to fly onboard a private US spacecraft. However, the most impressive record is for Mann, who is now the first Native American woman in space.
A brief history of NASA-SpaceX Crew-5
The NASA-SpaceX Crew-5 headed to the ISS back in October and spent an impressive 157 days in space. During their stay, they conducted several experiments including those pertaining to agriculture. A resupply mission to deliver goodies to them was sent on November 27 last year. The crew had to deal with several issues like dodging space junk and leaking Russian capsules.
How did the crew react on touchdown?
Once Crew-5 landed, Wakata craved sushi, while Kikina yearned for hot tea "from a real cup, not from a plastic bag." Mann described her journey as "one heck of a ride," and claimed that she couldn't wait to smell the fresh grass, feel the wind on her face, and enjoy "delicious Earth food." Finally, Cassada planned to get a rescue dog for his family.
The Crew-6 are now working at the ISS
The Crew-5 has returned to Earth, and the Crew-6 are now at the ISS in their place. Crew-6 is the sixth astronaut mission that SpaceX has flown to the station for NASA and its members will spend six months in space. The four-membered crew comprises UAE astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, two NASA astronauts: Warren Hoburg and Stephen Bowen, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
