SpaceX’s Crew-10 astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday (Aug. 9) after spending nearly five months on the International Space Station. The crew, consisting of NASA astronaut Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi of JAXA, and Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos, safely returned to Earth aboard the Crew Dragon capsule named Endurance.
The mission marked the 10th operational astronaut mission flown by SpaceX to and from the ISS for NASA via its Commercial Crew Program. The crew conducted various scientific experiments during their stay in space, including studying mental and physical changes caused by space travel and lunar navigation techniques.
As the crew prepared for their departure, they reflected on their experience, stating that it was a “ride of a lifetime” and that they accomplished a lot during their time on the ISS. The hatches between Endurance and the ISS closed on Friday (Aug. 8), and the capsule undocked two hours later, beginning its journey back to Earth.
This marked the first Pacific Ocean return for a SpaceX CCP mission, as all previous reentries were off the Florida coast. However, Crew-10 was not the first SpaceX astronaut mission to land in the Pacific; earlier flights like Fram2 and Axiom 4 did so earlier this year.
The successful splashdown brings an end to a significant spaceflight milestone for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/spacex-crew-10-astronauts-return-to-earth-from-international-space-station