NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts are back on Earth after spending 170 days in space; Detailed insight here

After almost 170 days in orbit, the astronauts of SpaceX’s Crew 4 capsule successfully returned to Earth on Friday with astronauts onboard. They landed their spaceship on the coast of Florida. With this NASA completed its fourth commercial crew mission to the International Space Station.

Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watling of NASA and Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency made a safe splashdown at Florida as they returned to Earth.

The crew members were retrieved by SpaceX’s recovery vessels. They will then be taken to the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Cristoforetti then will board a plane to Europe.

“Welcome home Crew-4! This international crew has spent nearly six months on the International Space Station conducting science for the benefit of all. Their work aboard the orbiting laboratory will help prepare future explorers for future space missions,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on his Twitter handle.

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He added, “Working and living on the space station is the opportunity of a lifetime, but it also requires these explorers to make sacrifices, especially time away from loved ones. Kjell, Bob, Jessica, and Samantha, thank you for your contributions over the past six months to science, innovation, and discovery!”

The Crew-4 SpaceX mission was launched on April 27 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Dragon docked to the Harmony module’s space-facing port in the next 16 hours. The returning astronauts undocked from the same port at 12:05 p.m. on Friday, to begin the trip home.

During their time in orbit, the three astronauts traveled over 72 million miles and spent over 170 days at the International Space Station. Kjell Lindgren logged 311 days in space, while his crewmate, Samantha Cristoforetti, had 369 days in space. The Crew-4 mission was the first time that Watkins and Hines participated in a spaceflight.

During their stay at the space station, the crew members carried out various science demonstrations and performed various maintenance activities. They also performed two spacewalks with Russian astronauts to perform upgrades and maintenance on the station.

They studied the effects of the space diet on the immune system and the microbiome. They also conducted studies on the effects of microgravity on the human gravity system, tested a novel water-reclamation membrane, and examined a concrete alternative made with a material found in lunar and Martian dust.

The Crew-4 capsule, which was named Freedom by SpaceX, will be taken to the company’s facilities in Florida for processing. The teams will analyze the data collected during the mission.

The crew’s capsule will then be taken to SpaceX’s facilities in Florida for processing. The teams will then analyze the data collected during the mission.

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 made a flight on Oct. 6, beginning another science expedition.