Peggy Whitson's Historic Return from ISS: A New Era in Private Space Exploration
Renowned astronaut Peggy Whitson is returning from her fifth mission to the ISS, marking a new chapter in private space exploration. Accompanied by astronauts from India, Poland, and Hungary, this mission signifies advancements in international space collaboration and the evolving landscape of commercial space travel.
Peggy Whitson, the trailblazing astronaut who retired from NASA five years ago, is set to return from her fifth journey to the International Space Station early Tuesday. Whitson, along with crewmates from India, Poland, and Hungary, prepares for a Pacific splashdown following their groundbreaking mission.
The quartet has been aboard the ISS for 18 days, facilitating a significant milestone for India, Poland, and Hungary, as this mission marks each nation's inaugural crewed ISS expedition. The crew is expected to land at 2:30 a.m. PDT Tuesday, capping their 22-hour return trajectory with a fiery re-entry and parachute descent into the Pacific.
Organized by Axiom Space in partnership with SpaceX, the mission heralds a new era of commercial spaceflight. Axiom aims to further commercialize low-Earth orbit missions and develop a private space station to succeed the ISS by 2030. This mission not only extends Whitson's record of space days but also underscores the shifting dynamics in global space travel.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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