Andreas Mogensen was impressed by how clean a touchdown it was. The primary European House Company (ESA) astronaut (and first non-American) to function a pilot on a U.S. industrial crew spacecraft, Mogensen and his SpaceX Crew-7 crewmates returned to Earth after a 197-day keep aboard the Worldwide House Station (ISS) on March 12.Mogensen, talking at his crew’s first post-flight information convention at NASA’s Johnson House Heart in Houston on Monday (March 25), likened their splashdown to “plopping into the water” of a swimming pool whereas carrying a life vest.”What I observed particularly was the smoothness of the touchdown in comparison with my first flight,” mentioned Mogensen, referring to his 2015 landing on the steppe of Kazakhstan aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. “The [SpaceX] Dragon lands in water, and I feel that makes an enormous distinction.””It was really sort of a really smooth splash,” Mogensen mentioned.Associated: SpaceX’s Crew-7 capsule returns 4 astronauts to Earth with predawn splashdown (video)NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, who commanded Crew-7, agreed that the touchdown was smooth, however then discovered what got here subsequent to be rougher than what others noticed.Breaking area information, the most recent updates on rocket launches, skywatching occasions and extra!”I felt like we had been actually rocking aspect to aspect,” she mentioned, describing the conclusion of her first spaceflight, “however then everybody I talked to was like, ‘Oh, the water was glass while you landed, there was barely any wind.’ So I undoubtedly felt much more movement than there was.”That motion did not finish once they received again to stable floor. The crew — together with Moghbeli, Mogensen and Japan Aerospace Exploration Company (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa (Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, the fourth member of Crew-7, missed Monday’s occasion, having already returned to Russia) — had been subjected to physiological assessments to see how they adjusted to the reintroduction of gravity.”Shortly after touchdown, we attempt to stroll first with our eyes open, and afterwards with our eyes closed,” mentioned Mogensen. “We had been all a bit of wobbly on our toes, however nonetheless able to strolling roughly in a straight line so long as our eyes had been open as a result of they had been our major supply of stability after having been six months in area.””With our eyes closed, as a result of we hadn’t used the sense of stability in our ears for six months, our brains needed to reinsert that sensor into its into its suite of sensors, and that takes some time. So with our eyes closed, it was virtually inconceivable [to walk a straight line],” he mentioned.”I did a pleasant faucet dance take a look at for that eyes-closed take a look at,” mentioned Moghbeli with fun.Associated: The human physique in area: 6 bizarre factsRoscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli and JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa seen inside their SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after touchdown on March 12, 2024. (Picture credit score: NASA/Joel Kowsky)Thankfully, they tailored in fast trend, which freed them to begin having fun with a number of the features of life they missed most whereas off Earth.”I missed a sizzling tub, particularly in a sizzling spring, as a result of water would not drop and accumulate in zero gravity,” mentioned Furukawa.Equally, Moghbeli mentioned she missed taking sizzling showers, however equally desired a greater diversity of meals.”You do have a set menu up there and you can not simply eat no matter you need everytime you need,” she mentioned. “So my first lunch [back on Earth] was a pleasant roast beef sub with some Cape Cod potato chips, after which my first dinner was a 16-ounce prime rib with fries.”Throughout their time collectively on the area station, the Crew-7 astronauts noticed the arrival of seven visiting autos and the departure of seven extra; contributed to a whole lot of experiments and know-how demonstrations; and Moghbeli accomplished the primary spacewalk of her NASA profession.It was close to the top of that six-hour and 42-minute extravehicular exercise (EVA) that Moghbeli made worldwide information by letting her instrument bag float away and be misplaced in area. The incident, which was minor however a problem unto itself, helped spotlight one other problem the astronauts encountered whereas in orbit.”I discovered one of many massive challenges was making an attempt to take a photograph of a spot [on Earth] that you just need to {photograph}, and also you attempt to time it out, you attempt to plan your day, and you then make your method to the Cupola or one of many different home windows and also you get set, you prepare after which it is just a bit bit cloudy,” mentioned Mogensen. “Even when it is not cloudy, possibly it is a bit of bit misty or the air is not fairly as clear, after which you aren’t getting a great photograph.””So it is really fairly difficult in the event you’re making an attempt to seize a selected goal,” he mentioned.JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa captured a picture of a crew lock bag whereas making an attempt to {photograph} Mount Fuji in Japan whereas aboard the Worldwide House Station. (Picture credit score: NASA/JSC)That actual factor occurred to Furukawa, but it surely was not a cloud or poor air high quality that received in the best way of his goal, a mountain peak southwest of Tokyo.”We had been in Node 1, I feel, having lunch or dinner, and Satoshi had been out within the Cupola taking footage. He is available in and he is like, ‘Effectively, you realize, I am very, very, very sorry. However you realize, I I took this image.’ And we had been all pondering, ‘What is going on on?'””He had managed to take an image of the instrument bag because it was transiting Mount Fuji. He had been making an attempt to take an image of Mount Fuji and ended up with an image of the instrument bag,” Mogensen mentioned, laughing.Total, their six months in area had been superb, however some days had been higher than others, mentioned Moghbeli.”If I’m giving an sincere reply, then like the rest, in the event you’re spending six or six and half months someplace like we did, you’re going to have dangerous days, completely,” Moghbeli mentioned in response to a query from House.com. “I liked being on the area station, I would not commerce it for the world. It was probably the most unbelievable factor I’ve finished in my life, however there have been undoubtedly days the place … you notice you are lacking a whole lot of milestones and issues again right here on Earth.”Additional, there have been upkeep duties that had been much less fulfilling than attending to conduct groundbreaking science and know-how demonstrations. Nonetheless, mentioned Moghbeli, it was definitely worth the journey.”On the finish of the day, I completely liked it. I used to be very unhappy to go away the area station,” she mentioned.