NASA astronaut returns to Earth after 5 months in space

The four astronauts on the Crew-5 mission spent about five months in space before returning safely to Earth aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule.

Dragon Endurance Ship

SpaceX’s Dragon Endurance ship brought the Crew-5 mission astronauts to a safe landing in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Florida (United States) (Photo: Flickr).

According to Space4 astronauts above SpaceX Dragon Capsulealso called Endurancelanded on Earth on March 12 (Vietnam time), ending a 157-day mission on the International Space Station (ISS).

Previously, the Dragon Endurance spacecraft separated from the ISS station at 2:20 p.m. on March 11. The ship performed numerous operations to enter re-entry orbit and landed safely by parachute in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Florida (United States).

The four astronauts on the mission include: Josh Cassada, Nicole Mann (United States), Koichi Wakata (Japan) and Anna Kikina (Russia) They are all in good health upon arrival. No incidents were reported during landing.

“Thank you SpaceX, it was a great trip!”astronaut Nicole Mann shared her feelings after landing. “We are happy to be home.”

The Crew-5 crew completed a 157-day mission in space.

The Crew-5 crew completed a 157-day mission in space. (Photo: Space).

Besides its professional significance, the Crew-5 mission also broke many records, when 3 out of 4 crew members were the first to participate in a space flight.

As for Mann, she became the first Native American woman to go to space. Meanwhile, Kikina is the first Russian to fly on a private American spacecraft.

This is a collaborative flight, part of NASA and SpaceX’s Commercial Crew Program. Crew-5’s next mission, Crew-6, launched on March 3, carrying 4 astronauts to the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Dragon Endeavor, which is expected to last 6 months.

Article source: Dan Tri