\n<\/p>\n
NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-7 completed the agency\u2019s seventh\u202fcommercial crew rotation mission to the International Space Station on Tuesday after splashing down safely in a Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. The international crew of four spent 199 days in orbit.<\/p>\n
NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov,\u202freturned to Earth splashing down at 5:47 a.m. EDT. Teams aboard SpaceX recovery vessels retrieved the spacecraft and its crew. After returning to shore, the crew will fly to NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter more than six months aboard the International Space Station, NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-7 has safely returned home,\u201d said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. \u201cThis international crew showed that space unites us all. It\u2019s clear that we can do more \u2013 we can learn more \u2013 when we work together. The science experiments conducted during their time in space will help prepare for NASA\u2019s bold missions at the Moon, Mars, and beyond, all while benefitting humanity here on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Crew-7 mission lifted off at 3:27 a.m. Aug. 26, 2023, on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. About 30 hours later, Dragon docked to the Harmony module\u2019s space-facing port. Crew-7 undocked at 11:20 a.m. Monday, March 11, to begin the trip home.<\/p>\n
Moghbeli, Mogensen, Furukawa, and Borisov traveled 84,434,094 miles during their mission, spent 197 days aboard the space station, and completed 3,184 orbits around Earth. The Crew-7 mission was the first spaceflight for Moghbeli and Borisov. Mogensen has logged 209 days in space over his two flights, and Furukawa has logged 366 days in space over his two flights.<\/p>\n
Throughout their mission, the Crew-7 members contributed to a host of science\u202fand maintenance activities and technology demonstrations. Moghbeli conducted one spacewalk, joined by NASA astronaut Loral O\u2019Hara, replacing one of the 12 trundle bearing assemblies on the port solar alpha rotary joint, which allows the arrays to track the Sun and generate electricity to power the station.<\/p>\n
The crew contributed to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations, including the first study of human response to different spaceflight durations, and an experiment growing food on the space station.<\/p>\n
This was the third flight of the Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance. It also previously supported the Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions. The spacecraft will return to Florida for inspection and processing at SpaceX\u2019s refurbishing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where teams will inspect the Dragon, analyze data on its performance, and process it for its next flight.<\/p>\n
The Crew-7 flight is part of NASA\u2019s\u202fCommercial Crew Program\u202fand its return to Earth follows on the heels of NASA\u2019s SpaceX Crew-8 launch, which docked to the station March 5, beginning another science expedition.<\/p>\n
The goal of NASA\u2019s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station and low Earth orbit. This already is providing additional research time and has increased the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity\u2019s microgravity testbed for exploration, including helping NASA prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.<\/p>\n
Learn more about NASA\u2019s Commercial Crew program at:<\/p>\n
\n
-end-<\/p>\n
Joshua Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov<\/p>\n
Steve Siceloff
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
321-867-2468
steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov<\/p>\n
Leah Cheshier
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
leah.d.cheshier@nasa.gov<\/p>\n<\/div>\n