A NASA crew, including astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, successfully splashed down in the Pacific after a mission to the ISS, marking the agency’s first Pacific landing in 50 years.
NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, along with two international crew members, made a historic splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California on Saturday. This marked NASA’s first such landing in 50 years.
The crew, which included Japan’s Takuya Onishi and Russia’s Kirill Peskov, returned to Earth at 11:33 a.m. ET in a SpaceX capsule. This event was notable not only for its significance to NASA but also as the third crewed splashdown for SpaceX.
The last time NASA astronauts splashed down in the Pacific was during the Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975, which was the first crewed international space mission involving American and Soviet astronauts.
The astronauts launched in March to relieve their colleagues, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who had been stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) for nine months. Their extended stay was due to issues with the Boeing Starliner capsule, which experienced thruster problems and helium leaks.
NASA determined that returning Wilmore and Williams to Earth in the Starliner would be too risky, leading to the decision for the Starliner to return without crew. Wilmore and Williams eventually returned home in a SpaceX capsule after their replacements arrived.
In a poignant reflection before departing the ISS, McClain expressed hope that their mission would serve as a reminder of the potential for collaboration and exploration during challenging times. “We want this mission, our mission, to be a reminder of what people can do when we work together, when we explore together,” she said.
Upon their return, McClain mentioned her eagerness to relax and enjoy some downtime, while her crewmates looked forward to indulging in hot showers and burgers.
Earlier this year, SpaceX made the strategic decision to shift their splashdowns from Florida to California. This change was implemented to minimize the risk of debris falling on populated areas during the landing process.
After exiting the spacecraft, the crew underwent medical checks before being transported via helicopter to meet a NASA aircraft bound for Houston.
“Overall, the mission went great, glad to have the crew back,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, during a press conference following the splashdown. “SpaceX did a great job of recovering the crew again on the West Coast.”
Dina Contella, deputy manager for NASA’s International Space Station program, expressed her satisfaction with the crew’s return, stating, “I was pretty happy to see the Crew 10 team back on Earth. They looked great, and they are doing great.”
During their 146 days at the ISS, the crew orbited the Earth 2,368 times and traveled over 63 million miles.
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