Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel on Mar 11, 2023
ORLANDO, Fla. — Another four humans are headed back to Earth after spending more than five months in space with the SpaceX Crew-5 mission departing the International Space Station aiming for a Saturday night splashdown off the coast of Florida.
The quartet of mission commander and NASA astronaut Nicole Mann, pilot and NASA astronaut Josh Cassada, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina climbed aboard Crew Dragon Endurance and detached from the forward-facing port of the ISS’s Harmony module at 2:20 a.m., leaving behind the remaining crew of seven on the station.
NASA astronaut Frank Rubio was on coms on the station as the spacecraft crept slowly away saying, “magnificent sunset departure. You guys look great. Great job up here, we’re going to miss you. Godspeed.”
Mann thanks NASA and SpaceX for their support during the stay saying, “It has been your tireless efforts and attention to detail that has made this mission successful. I can’t tell you how great it feels to be part of such an incredible team. And to the crew on board the International Space Station, you’ve got it, you make us proud, we’ll be following along on your mission. And to our friends and family, thank you for following along and being a part of our mission. It has been a privilege to add to the legacy. Semper fidelis.”
Mann, Cassada and Kikina are completing their first-ever trip to space while Wakata had flown on four previous missions.
“It is absolutely overwhelming to back away from the International Space Station and gain some perspective on the place we called home for almost half a year,” Cassada said.
The four have a long day in space with about a 19-hour trip home and a planned 9:02 p.m. splashdown off the coast of Tampa. Coverage will begin on NASA TV at 8 p.m.
The trip home marks the end of the fifth operational crew flight for SpaceX under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. It’s the second flight of Crew Dragon Endurance that first went to space for Crew-3.
The Crew-5 missions blasted off on Oct. 5 from Kennedy Space Center docking with the ISS one day later becoming part of Expedition 68.
Mann became the first female commander of a SpaceX mission as well as becoming the first female Native American in space. Kikina was the first Roscosmos passenger to fly on a Commercial Crew Program flight. By landing Wakata will have 505 days in space while the three rookies will have logged 157 days in space.
Their Crew-6 replacements arrived last week on board the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour making its fourth flight.
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