SpaceX Crew-10 mission to return to Earth on Thursday
SpaceX Crew-10 astronauts are set to leave the International Space Station on Thursday night, wrapping up a six-month science mission.
The team—NASA's Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA's Takuya Onishi, and Russia's Kirill Peskov—launched back in March aboard the Dragon Endurance capsule.
Key science mission
Over 180 days, Crew-10 ran experiments on how microgravity affects plant growth and protein production in microalgae—key stuff for future Moon and Mars trips.
Recovery ahead of Crew-11
After undocking, their Dragon capsule will spend nearly a day descending before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean—the first time in years for a Crew Dragon Pacific landing.
With SpaceX tracking everything from California, this careful recovery helps prep for even bigger missions ahead with Crew-11.