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SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Four astronauts concluded their over four-month tenure on the International Space Station by safely returning to Earth on Saturday morning, splashing down off the San Diego coast, thus completing NASA and SpaceX’s Crew-10 mission.
SpaceX reported that the Dragon spacecraft detached from the ISS at 3:05 p.m. PT on Friday, August 8, executing a sequence of calculated “orbit-lowering maneuvers” prior to its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. The capsule achieved a successful splashdown at 8:33 a.m. PT on Saturday in the Pacific Ocean, roughly 17 hours after setting off.
The spacecraft transported NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Takuya Onishi from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Kirill Peskov of Roscosmos. All crew members are said to be in good condition post-recovery operations.
Launched on March 14 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the mission signified a 145-day orbital sojourn. The Dragon capsule autonomously attached to the ISS slightly more than a day following launch and facilitated numerous scientific investigations during its space stay.
During their orbit, Crew-10 participated in experiments focusing on enhancing future human space travel and advancing terrestrial life, involving studies on the impacts of microgravity on human health and new technologies for prolonged space missions, according to SpaceX officials.
This particular Dragon spacecraft has completed multiple missions, having formerly been used for NASA’s Crew-3, Crew-5, and Crew-7 missions. The Falcon 9 rocket utilized in this mission completed its second flight, having previously launched the SES 03b mPOWER satellite.
NASA and SpaceX streamed the re-entry and splashdown live via webcast and on the new X TV app, giving space enthusiasts a front-row seat to the exciting conclusion of the mission.
The safe return off California’s southern coast marks another milestone in the ongoing partnership between NASA and SpaceX as they continue to advance crewed spaceflight capabilities.
