Crew-7 astronauts return to Earth after 6-month mission to space

By Silan Turp

Three astronauts and a cosmonaut sent to space as part of Space X's Crew-7 mission returned Tuesday to Earth after six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

SpaceX shared images and videos on X of the splashdown of the capsule off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.

The recovery crew arrived at the capsule three minutes after it hit the water, with thermal cameras to track recovery operations.

The Dragon capsule carrying the astronauts, including American Jasmin Moghbeli, Andreas Mogensen from Denmark, Satoshi Furukawa from Japan and Russian cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, landed at 5.50 a.m. local time.

The descent and landing were broadcast live, showcasing the safe return of the crew after spending 199 days in orbit.

The astronauts will undergo a series of health checks.

They were launched to the ISS on Aug. 26, 2023, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the six-month mission.