Four Astronauts Return to Earth After Eight Months in Space
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Four astronauts returned to Earth from the International Space Station on Thursday, after quickly going there eight months ago to replace a sick colleague and their crew. SpaceX brought back the American, French, and Russian crew members with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Los Angeles. Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway from NASA, Sophie Adenot from France, and Andrey Fedyaev from Russia left the orbiting laboratory on Wednesday, eager to reunite with their families after a long separation. Their replacements arrived three weeks late due to capsule repairs, delaying this crew's return home. They couldn't wait to feel the breeze on their faces, take a shower, and, at least in Adenot's case, return to water sports. 'We are very happy to be back on planet Earth after an incredible mission at the International Space Station,' Meir transmitted via radio moments after the splashdown. While still in orbit, she mentioned that the crew had 'many mixed and excited emotions' and that they would miss the 'extraordinary views of our planet.' Meir and her crew left Earth in February to replace four station occupants who were sent home early after one of them, retired NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, fell ill. It was NASA's first medical evacuation in 65 years of crewed spaceflight. Two months later, the new group of four proudly watched the Artemis II astronauts fly around the Moon. They also celebrated the 250th anniversary of the United States up there, with Meir joining the Boston Pops with her flute for a July 4 concert. Meir participated in four spacewalks, while Adenot went outside three times for maintenance and upgrades of the 28-year-old outpost. Amid all the work, the astronauts found time for fun: last month they held a dance party and regularly conducted cooking demonstrations, complete with aprons and a chef's hat. Meir presented an instructional video for women in space with curly hair like hers, while Hathaway kept his bushy mustache, a rarity in space, perfectly groomed. He grew the naval aviator-style mustache before traveling to orbit as a way to honor his ties to the Navy, and he found it no more difficult to maintain in microgravity than on Earth. Some ground controllers also grew mustaches in solidarity. Will his mustache disappear now that his mission is over? 'It's become a bit of my brand up here,' Hathaway said in August, 'so I don't know if it will go away immediately or if I'll end up keeping it for a while.' Seven astronauts remain aboard the space station, representing the United States, Russia, and Canada. According to NASA's count, the outpost has welcomed 298 visitors from 26 countries since its doors opened in 2000. This story was translated from English with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool. An editor from Telemundo Los Angeles reviewed the translation.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
