Month: March 2023

Crew-5 Safely Returns to Earth After Splashdown

The SpaceX Dragon Endurance is seen as it splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tampa, Florida, at 9:02 p.m. EST, returning Crew-5 to Earth. Credits: NASA TV.
The SpaceX Dragon Endurance is seen as it splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tampa, Florida, at 9:02 p.m. EST, returning Crew-5 to Earth. Credits: NASA TV.

NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina splashed down safely in the SpaceX Dragon Endurance in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tampa, Florida, at 9:02 p.m. EST after 157 days in space.  

Teams on the Shannon recovery ship, including two fast boats, now are in the process of securing Dragon and ensuring the spacecraft is safe for the recovery effort. As the fast boat teams complete their work, the recovery ship will move into position to hoist Dragon onto the main deck of Shannon  with the astronauts inside. Once on the main deck, the crew will be taken out of the spacecraft and receive medical checks before a helicopter ride to Tampa to board a plane for Houston.  

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

Dragon Endurance Deorbit Burn Complete

The SpaceX Dragon Endurance crew ship, carrying four Crew-5 members, approaches the International Space Station 260 miles above the Pacific Ocean southwest of the Hawaiian island chain in this photo from Oct. 6, 2022. Credit: NASA/Kjell Lindgren
The SpaceX Dragon Endurance crew ship, carrying four Crew-5 members, approaches the International Space Station 260 miles above the Pacific Ocean southwest of the Hawaiian island chain in this photo from Oct. 6, 2022. Credit: NASA/Kjell Lindgren

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina on their return to Earth after a nearly six-month science mission has completed its deorbit burn as expected ahead of splashdown at approximately 9:02 p.m. EST in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tampa, Florida.

Four minutes before splashdown, the drogue parachutes will deploy at about 18,000 feet in altitude while Dragon is moving approximately 350 miles per hour, and less than a minute later, the main parachutes deploy at about 6,000 feet in altitude while the spacecraft is moving approximately 119 miles per hour. 

NASA TV coverage available online and via the NASA app will continue until the crew is recovered from the spacecraft.  

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

Crew-5 Astronauts Preparing for Final Hour before Splashdown

The SpaceX Dragon Endurance crew ship, carrying four Crew-5 members, approaches the International Space Station with the Earth's horizon in the background in this photo from Oct. 6, 2022. Credit: NASA/Kjell Lindgren
The SpaceX Dragon Endurance crew ship, carrying four Crew-5 members, approaches the International Space Station with the Earth’s horizon in the background in this photo from Oct. 6, 2022. Credit: NASA/Kjell Lindgren

Watch the agency’s live coverage as NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft are about one hour away from splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida at approximately 9:02 p.m. EST. Weather conditions remain within the splashdown weather criteria and are “Go” at the primary targeted site off the coast of Tampa, Florida.

The deorbit burn is scheduled to begin at 8:11 p.m. EST.

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

Dragon Endurance Undocks from the Space Station

The SpaceX Dragon Endurance undocked from the space station at 2:20 a.m. EST, beginning Crew-5's journey back to Earth. Credits: NASA TV.
The SpaceX Dragon Endurance undocked from the space station at 2:20 a.m. EST, beginning Crew-5’s journey back to Earth. Credits: NASA TV.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina inside undocked from the forward-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 2:20 a.m. EST to complete a nearly  six-month science mission.      

NASA coverage of Crew-5’s return will continue with audio only, and full coverage will resume at the start of the splashdown broadcast. Real-time audio between Crew-5 and flight controllers at NASA’s Mission Audio stream will remain available and includes conversations with astronauts aboard the space station and a live video feed from the orbiting laboratory. 

NASA TV coverage will resume at 8 p.m. Saturday until Endurance splashes down at approximately 9:02 p.m. EST near Tampa off the coast of Florida and Crew-5 members are recovered.  

NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission launched Oct. 5, 2022, on a Falcon 9 rocket from the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and docked to the space station the next day. 

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

After Hatch Closure, Crew-5 Prepares to Undock

The SpaceX Dragon Endurance, which will carry Crew-5 back to Earth, is seen docked to the space station prior to its departure. Credits: NASA TV.
The SpaceX Dragon Endurance, which will carry Crew-5 back to Earth, is seen docked to the space station prior to its departure. Credits: NASA TV.

At 12:29 a.m. EST, the hatch closed between the Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance, and the International Space Station in preparation for undocking and return to Earth of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission with NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina. 

NASA Television will air live coverage  beginning at 1:45 a.m., for undocking scheduled at 2:05 a.m. Following conclusion of undocking coverage, NASA coverage of Crew-5’s return will continue with audio only, and full coverage will resume at the start of the splashdown broadcast at 8 p.m. this evening. Real-time audio between Crew-5 and flight controllers at NASA’s Mission Audio stream will remain available and includes conversations with astronauts aboard the space station and a live video feed from the orbiting laboratory. 

More details about the mission and NASA’s commercial crew program can be found by following the commercial crew blog, @commercial_crew  and  commercial crew on Facebook. 

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe

NASA TV is Live for Crew-5 Hatch Closure

Clockwise from left, Expedition 68 Flight Engineers Anna Kikina, Josh Cassada, Nicole Mann, and Koichi Wakata pose for a fun portrait aboard the station. The quartet is planning on returning to Earth this month.
Clockwise from left, Expedition 68 Flight Engineers Anna Kikina, Josh Cassada, Nicole Mann, and Koichi Wakata pose for a fun portrait aboard the station. The quartet is planning on returning to Earth this month.

Watch live coverage now on NASA TV, the NASA app and the agency’s  website as hatch closure and undocking preparations are underway for the return of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission.  

NASA astronauts Mission Commander Nicole Mann and Pilot Josh Cassada, along with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina, who will serve as mission specialists, are in the process of boarding the Dragon for departure from the International Space Station. 

Crew-5 is targeting a return to Earth at about 9:02 p.m. EST Saturday, March 11, with a splashdown off the coast of Florida. The Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance, is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station at 2:05 a.m. to begin the journey home.  

Dragon will autonomously undock, depart the space station, and splash down at one of seven targeted landing zones in the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida. Endurance also will return important and time-sensitive research to Earth. 

Learn more about station activities by following the space station blog, @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts.

Get weekly video highlights at: https://roundupreads.jsc.nasa.gov/videoupdate/

Get the latest from NASA delivered every week. Subscribe here: www.nasa.gov/subscribe