Crew-10 Mission Concludes as Astronauts Begin Return Journey to Earth

A multinational team of four astronauts commenced their return trip from the International Space Station (ISS) Friday, concluding nearly five months spent conducting research in orbit. The departure marks the completion of NASA’s 10th Commercial Crew Program rotation mission, an initiative designed to facilitate space travel through partnerships with private sector companies following the retirement of the Space Shuttle program.

The SpaceX Dragon capsule, carrying the crew, undocked from the ISS at 22:15 GMT. The spacecraft will execute a controlled atmospheric re-entry, utilizing advanced systems to decelerate its descent and deploy substantial parachutes for a soft splashdown in an ocean landing zone. Following this, a dedicated SpaceX recovery vessel is scheduled to retrieve the capsule and its occupants. The astronauts will then undergo a readaptation process to reintegrate with Earth’s environment after their extended time in microgravity.

During their stay aboard the ISS, Crew-10 members carried out a comprehensive suite of scientific investigations, focusing on areas such as plant cultivation techniques and cellular responses to gravitational changes. The crew’s initial deployment in March was notable as it enabled the return of two American astronauts who had been unexpectedly extended on the station for nine months due to unforeseen technical issues with their original transport vehicle.

A new team, consisting of US astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, along with Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, arrived at the ISS last week to initiate a six-month scientific mission.