Crew-4 returns to Earth on Dragon Freedom
After 170 days in space, Crew-4 astronauts return to Earth, in a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. Teams aboard SpaceX recovery vessels retrieve the spacecraft and astronauts. After returning to shore, all astronauts will fly to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Cristoforetti then will board a plane to Europe.
The mission launched at 3:52 a.m. EDT April 27 on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Throughout their mission, the Crew-4 astronauts contributed to a host of science and maintenance activities and technology demonstrations. Cristoforetti completed two spacewalks with Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev to perform station maintenance and upgrades.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson:
Welcome home Crew-4! This international crew has spent nearly six months on the International Space Station conducting science for the benefit of all. Their work aboard the orbiting laboratory will help prepare future explorers for future space missions. Working and living on the space station is the opportunity of a lifetime, but it also requires these explorers to make sacrifices, especially time away from loved ones. Kjell, Bob, Jessica and Samantha, thank you for your contributions over the past six months to science, innovation, and discovery!
Welcome home @SpaceX #Crew4 astronauts after a 170-day @ISS_Research mission that began on April 27! Splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean occurred at 4:55pm ET today. More… https://t.co/Kfzv8VmUdP pic.twitter.com/5OjWFKsBmL
— International Space Station (@Space_Station) October 14, 2022
Crew-7 launches to ISS
Crew-7 successfully launches to the International Space Station, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on SpaceX’s Endurance Dragon spacecraft, powered by a Falcon 9 rocket. The crew includes: NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Konstantin Borisov of Russia’s space agency. Over 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations will take place during Crew-7’s mission of approximately six months in space. Experiments will include the collection of microbial samples from the exterior of the space station, the first study of human response to different spaceflight durations, and an investigation of the physiological aspects of astronauts’ sleep. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson:
Crew-7 is a shining example of the power of both American ingenuity and what we can accomplish when we work together. Aboard station, the crew will conduct more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations to prepare for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, all while benefitting humanity on Earth. By partnering with countries around the world, NASA is engaging the best scientific minds to enable our bold missions, and it’s clear that we can do more – and we can learn more – when we work together.
