Astronauts from NASA on International Space Station preparing to come back to Earth via SpaceX Dragon
The Crew 7 mission from NASA is set to wrap up its six-month stay on the International Space Station (ISS), with seven astronauts getting ready to come back to Earth. During their time on the ISS, the astronauts have been actively involved in carrying out various scientific experiments and technology demonstrations with the goal of benefiting mankind and enhancing NASA’s preparedness for upcoming space missions.
Scheduled to depart the ISS on March 11, crew 7 will bid farewell to their space home. The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is expected to lift off from the space station at 11:05 a.m. and will culminate in a splashdown on the Florida coast on March 12, weather permitting. This mission represents the culmination of a remarkable journey by NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbel, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, who set off on their space journey on August 26 of the previous year.
Currently, the ISS hosts a total of 11 astronauts from the United States, Europe, Russia, and Japan, including the recently arrived crew members of 8. NASA has emphasized that Crew 7 is nearing completion of its nearly six-month science mission, which aims to bring important research results back to Earth for further analysis.
During their time on the ISS, Crew 7 achieved significant scientific milestones. They conducted studies investigating the effects of spaceflight on immune function, developed innovative methods to remove contaminants from wastewater, and investigated the feasibility of growing food in the microgravity environment of space. In addition, the team successfully deployed two CubeSats that serve as cost-effective alternatives to traditional satellites, furthering our ongoing efforts to expand our understanding of space technology and research.
The Crew 7 mission exemplifies NASA’s unwavering commitment to advancing scientific research and technological innovation in space. As the astronauts prepare to bid farewell to their orbiting laboratory and return to Earth, the invaluable insights gained from their experiments are poised to make significant advances in various scientific fields, ultimately benefiting humanity both on the planet and beyond.
