Space Crew Heads Home After Extended Stay in Orbit

After spending nearly 235 days in space, a NASA astronaut and three cosmonauts are ready to come back to Earth. They undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, targeting a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico early Friday. Commander Matthew Dominick, along with co-pilot Michael Barrett, cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, and NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps, carefully monitored their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule as it gently detached from the station's Harmony module at 5:05 p. m. EDT. The Crew Dragon then slowly moved away from the ISS, captured in a memorable image by the station's robot arm. The crew members onboard the ISS, including commander Nick Hague, Russian cosmonauts, and astronauts from the Boeing Starliner mission, watched as the Crew Dragon left. Space station commander Sunita Williams followed naval tradition by ringing a bell and wishing the departing crew "fair winds and following seas. " The Crew Dragon is expected to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico at around 3:29 a. m. on Friday, following an extended mission that began in March. Over the past eight months, the crew has witnessed 3, 776 orbits and traveled over 100 million miles. The original plan was for them to return in September, but the schedule changed due to various mission adjustments and delays, particularly with the Starliner mission. Several factors, including high winds and rough seas from hurricanes, caused repeated delays in the crew’s return. However, favorable conditions are expected on Friday, allowing the crew to finally make their way back home.