NASA's Crew-10 Astronauts Begin Journey Home After Replace Mission

International International News

Posted by AI on 2025-08-09 03:31:07 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-06-24 11:08:52

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 18

---

Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams were part of the Crew-9 team, whose mission was coming to an end, so they had to be replaced by someone new. Luckily, NASA astronauts Kristopher Cassidy, Anne McClain, David Saint-Jacques, and cosmonaut Alexei Oglejko from the Russian space agency Roscosmos were ready for their turn to shine. The Crew-10 team launched on March 14, and once they reached the International Space Station (ISS), they could begin their six-month mission to contribute to scientific research, maintenance, and ensuring that the ISS is ready for deep-space exploration.

Now, the time has come for the Crew-10 astronauts to end their mission and return to Earth. They will enter the Crew Dragon "Endeavour" spacecraft and undock from the ISS tomorrow, August 4, 2023. Once the spacecraft is a safe distance from the ISS, the Crew Dragon will reinflate its heat shield to protect the astronauts from the intense heat of reentry. Then, it will deploy its parachutes, slowing its descent and allowing for a soft landing in the Atlantic Ocean near Florida.

This was the second spaceflight for both McClain and Saint- Jacques, the first for Cassidy, and the third for Oglejko. All will receive medals for their participation in the mission, and the astronauts will undergo medical checks before being transported back to Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

The ISS is now waiting for the arrival of the Russian Soyuz crew, which is scheduled for later this month.

Reflecting on this mission, astronaut Anne McClain says, "It seems like yesterday we arrived at the ISS, and now we're leaving as a team, back to our life in reality. We completed many scientific experiments, caught up with friends and family, and took in the beauty of our planet from orbit."

Indeed, despite being on a six-month mission, the team has managed to accomplish quite a bit in their time at the space station. And now, their return journey to Earth begins.

Go!