Four astronauts returned to Earth on Friday in a SpaceX spacecraft, ending their nearly six-month mission on the International Space Station, where they carried out various scientific experiments.
Wet and windy weather in Florida delayed the return home of these astronauts.
But SpaceX and NASA finally got the ‘green light’ on Friday and the three Americans and an Italian departed from the International Space Station, which had been their residence since April.
The Dragon Freedom capsule, built by the private aerospace company SpaceX, carrying NASA’s Crew-4 mission, parachuted into the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville, Florida about five hours later at 4:55 p.m. 55 pm in Lisbon).
Five minutes later, two small boats found the astronauts with red and yellow balloons tied to the boats.
The mission involved NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines and Jessica Watkins, the first black woman to complete a long-term spaceflight, and Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency.
Crew-4 arrived at the space station on April 27 to begin a six-month science mission, during which they performed, among other things, experiments to study microgravity-induced age-like changes in human immune cells and the possible way to reverse them. it’s.
An alternative to cement was also experimented with, based on material found in the dust of the Moon and Mars, with which future space bases could eventually be built, saving long-distance missions.
Before returning, the astronauts had confided that they wanted to have a soda with ice, eat pizza and ice cream, take a shower, feel nature and, of course, be with their families.
Last week, the replacements for this mission, the members of Crew-5, the fifth joint manned mission between NASA and SpaceX, a company owned by billionaire Elon Musk, had arrived at the space station.
Three Americans, three Russians and one Japanese remain on board the space station.
SpaceX sends astronauts to the International Space Station and returns them to Earth from 2020.
According to the private company, the Dragon spacecraft is capable of carrying up to seven passengers to and from Earth orbit “and beyond.”
It is also the only spacecraft currently in operation capable of “returning significant amounts of cargo” to Earth, and it is the first private craft to transport humans to the space station.
Source: TSF
