Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, left, ESA (European Area Company) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Company (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa are seen contained in the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft onboard the SpaceX restoration ship MEGAN shortly after having landed within the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Moghbeli, Mogensen, Furukawa, and Borisov are returning after practically six months in house as a part of Expedition 70 aboard the Worldwide Area Station. Credit score: NASA/Joel KowskyThe Crew-7 mission, a part of NASA’s Business Crew Program, safely returned after 199 days in house, marking important accomplishments for its worldwide crew and contributing to numerous scientific experiments.NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 accomplished the company’s seventh industrial crew rotation mission to the Worldwide Area Station on Tuesday after splashing down safely in a Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. The worldwide crew of 4 spent 199 days in orbit.NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Area Company) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Company) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, returned to Earth splashing down at 5:47 a.m. EDT. Groups aboard SpaceX restoration vessels retrieved the spacecraft and its crew. After returning to shore, the crew will fly to NASA’s Johnson Area Middle in Houston.“After greater than six months aboard the Worldwide Area Station, NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 has safely returned dwelling,” mentioned NASA Administrator Invoice Nelson. “This worldwide crew confirmed that house unites us all. It’s clear that we are able to do extra – we are able to be taught extra – after we work collectively. The science experiments carried out throughout their time in house will assist put together for NASA’s daring missions on the Moon, Mars, and past, all whereas benefitting humanity right here on Earth.”Mission Achievements and ExperimentsThe Crew-7 mission lifted off at 3:27 a.m. on August 26, 2023, on a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Area Middle in Florida. About 30 hours later, Dragon docked to the Concord module’s space-facing port. Crew-7 undocked at 11:20 a.m. on Monday, March 11, to start the journey dwelling.Moghbeli, Mogensen, Furukawa, and Borisov traveled 84,434,094 miles throughout their mission, spent 197 days aboard the house station, and accomplished 3,184 orbits round Earth. The Crew-7 mission was the primary spaceflight for Moghbeli and Borisov. Mogensen has logged 209 days in house over his two flights, and Furukawa has logged three hundred and sixty six days in house over his two flights.All through their mission, the Crew-7 members contributed to a bunch of science and upkeep actions and expertise demonstrations. Moghbeli carried out one spacewalk, joined by NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, changing one of many 12 trundle bearing assemblies on the port photo voltaic alpha rotary joint, which permits the arrays to trace the Solar and generate electrical energy to energy the station.The crew contributed to a whole bunch of experiments and expertise demonstrations, together with the primary examine of human response to completely different spaceflight durations, and an experiment rising meals on the house station.Future Prospects and Program ImpactThis was the third flight of the Dragon spacecraft, named Endurance. It additionally beforehand supported the Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions. The spacecraft will return to Florida for inspection and processing at SpaceX’s refurbishing facility at Cape Canaveral Area Pressure Station, the place groups will examine the Dragon, analyze information on its efficiency, and course of it for its subsequent flight.The Crew-7 flight is a part of NASA’s Business Crew Program and its return to Earth follows on the heels of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 launch, which docked to the station March 5, starting one other science expedition.The objective of NASA’s Business Crew Program is secure, dependable, and cost-effective transportation to and from the Worldwide Area Station and low Earth orbit. This already is offering further analysis time and has elevated the chance for discovery aboard humanity’s microgravity testbed for exploration, together with serving to NASA put together for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.