Four astronauts left their orbital home today (March 11) to return to Earth.
SpaceX Crew-7 and its four astronauts separated from the International Space Station at 11:20 a.m. EDT (1520 GMT), and their departure was broadcast live on NASA TV. The docking occurred over Hawaii, according to a NASA broadcast.
NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, still aboard the International Space Station, told the departing crew: “Enjoy the last few hours in orbit, and the soft landing. I can't wait to see you guys in a couple of weeks.”
The international crew includes NASA astronaut Yasmine Moghbeli, Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency (ESA), Satoshi Furukawa of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Roscosmos astronaut Konstantin Borisov. Their mission will take 199 days, assuming they land on time tomorrow (March 12).
Related: Meet the SpaceX Crew-7 astronauts who will launch to the International Space Station on August 25
If the return to Earth proceeds as scheduled, Crew-7 should touch down off the coast of Florida no later than Tuesday (March 12) at 5:35 a.m. EDT (0935 GMT), NASA says. But it will depend on the choice of starting location. Coverage is currently scheduled to begin at 4:30 a.m. EST (0830 GMT).
Riding aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endurance, Crew-7 blasted off to the International Space Station on August 26 for a half-year stay aboard the orbital complex. They conducted hundreds of experiments, packed and unloaded numerous cargo ships loaded with supplies, and hosted the special Axiom Space Ax-3 crew during their brief, nearly two-week visit to the International Space Station.
Moghbeli was part of the fourth ever all-female spacewalk on November 1, 2023, alongside fellow NASA astronaut O'Hara, who arrived at the International Space Station separately via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. They replaced a faulty electronics box, among other duties.
Another spacewalk, with less urgent work planned, was initially postponed and then canceled after a leak in the Russian portion of the International Space Station in October. This would have included Mogensen, on his first ever spacewalk, and Moghbeli. (NASA initially postponed the spacewalk as a precaution against ammonia due to the leak, but spacewalk availability also depends on factors such as the arrival or departure of cargo ships, as well as other space station duties.)
“NASA will need more time to evaluate EVA readiness,” Mogensen says Published on X, formerly known as Twitter, will depart from the International Space Station on October 11, 2023, shortly after the postponement was initially announced. “I fully support the safety-first approach we've always taken when it comes to space, even if it means waiting a little longer for a spacewalk.”
This story was updated at 10:15 a.m. EDT to reflect NASA's revised undocking timing, again at 11:25 a.m. EDT after the docking, and again at 11:00 p.m. :35 AM EDT after crew comments.
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