Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Four astronauts are preparing to leave the International Space Station after spending nearly eight months in orbit, as Nasa and SpaceX target Wednesday, October 7, for the return of the Crew-12 mission.
Nasa and SpaceX are targeting 5:35 pm IST on October 7 for the undocking of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from the station, although the departure remains dependent on weather, sea conditions and spacecraft and recovery-team readiness.
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The returning crew includes Nasa astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The quartet has been aboard the orbital outpost since February 14, completing a mission that stretched to nearly eight months.
The astronauts are expected to spend a little more than a day travelling inside Dragon after leaving the station. If the schedule holds, the spacecraft will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and splash down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California at around 11:34 a.m. EDT on October 8.
The return comes as the ISS undergoes a major crew transition. Nasa’s Crew-13 arrived at the station on October 1, bringing four new astronauts who have now joined the Expedition 75 crew.
The handover was formally completed on October 4, when Meir transferred command of the station to Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov.
During their time aboard the station, Crew-12 conducted scientific experiments and station operations as part of Expedition 75. Their mission included research designed to improve understanding of how humans and biological systems respond to the extreme environment of space.
For Meir, the return will also mark the end of her stint as commander of the space station. The astronauts will leave behind a new crew that will continue research and operations aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Nasa is closely watching conditions around the California recovery zone before committing to the return timeline. The Dragon’s undocking depends not only on conditions at the station but also on weather and sea states in the Pacific, making the final schedule subject to change.
If the plan goes ahead, four astronauts who have spent months living and working roughly 400 kilometres above Earth will soon be back home, completing another chapter in the continuing human presence aboard the ISS.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
