Four astronauts depart ISS for return to Earth

Long journey home

The returning astronauts — Americans Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan's Takuya Onishi, and Russian cosmonaut Kirill Peskov — are expected to spend over 17 hours in the capsule before splashing down off the coast of California at 15:33 GMT on Saturday.

Milestone for NASA’s Commercial Crew Programme

Their return marks the conclusion of the 10th crew rotation mission under NASA's Commercial Crew Programme, which partners with private industry, including SpaceX, to send astronauts to the ISS following the retirement of the Space Shuttle.

Controlled descent and recovery

The Dragon capsule detached from the ISS at 22:15 GMT on Friday. Upon re-entry, the spacecraft will slow down significantly, first due to Earth’s atmosphere and then with the help of large parachutes for a safe ocean landing. A SpaceX recovery ship will retrieve the capsule and bring it aboard, allowing the astronauts to breathe Earth’s air for the first time in months.

Scientific contributions in orbit

Known as Crew-10, the team conducted numerous experiments during their mission, including research into plant growth in microgravity and how cells respond to gravitational changes.

Stranded astronauts finally replaced

This mission also marked a turning point for two American astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were unexpectedly stranded on the ISS for nine months after the Boeing Starliner they launched on developed propulsion issues. They had originally planned to spend just eight days in orbit.

Looking ahead

NASA recently announced Wilmore's retirement after 25 years of service. Meanwhile, a new crew — US astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, Japan's Kimiya Yui, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov — arrived at the ISS last week for a six-month mission.