The Crew-7 mission of NASA has safely returned to Earth following a fiery flight through the Midwest and Southern United States.
Over 200 experiments were carried out by the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which was piloted by Russian cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, the European Space Agency’s Andreas Mogensen, and mission commander and astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli. Among these was the examination of blood samples to track how spaceflight affected immune function while in orbit. Additionally, the crew tested unique membranes intended to remove impurities from wastewater—a crucial task for long-range missions.
As part of NASA’s Commercial Crew program, the Crew-8 mission will spend the next six months on the International Space Station after being launched there on a SpaceX rocket. With a two-week test flight planned for May, the next NASA mission to the International Space Station will be the first human flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. The Crew-8 mission is a component of NASA’s Commercial Crew program, which, following the retirement of the shuttle fleet in 2011, pays private enterprises to transport humans to and from the space station.
NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, astronaut Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency, astronaut Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA, astronaut Konstantin Borisov of Roscosmos, and other members of the international Crew-7 team are scheduled to return to Earth following a six-month science mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
When the mission was launched on August 26, 2023, it represented a major turning point in global collaboration and scientific research. To make the most of their time aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the crew tested new technologies, conducted science experiments, and developed skills relevant to low-Earth orbit commercial travel.
Understanding the effects of zero gravity on the human body was a crucial component of their mission, which included mandating that astronauts exercise for two hours a day to prevent the degradation of their muscles and bones. The team will return with time-sensitive research nearing completion that might have significant ramifications for upcoming trips to the Moon, Mars, and possibly beyond. At 3:05 PM IST, the Dragon capsule, called Endurance, is expected to splash down off the coast of Florida.