Jourdan Bennett-Begaye
ICT
Five months on board the International Space Station flew by for NASA astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann, the first Native American woman in space. Now it’s time for her and SpaceX Crew-5 to return to Earth Saturday.
It’ll be more than a nine-hour journey from the orbiting laboratory for Mann, Wailacki of the Round Valley Tribes, and her three crew members — NASA astronaut John Cassada, astronaut Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina.
Crew-5 has been handing over their duties to the four new crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 who arrived at the space station March 3. Eleven crew members have been in orbit the last week and once Crew-5 leaves for Earth, seven will be aboard the space station.
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Commander Mann and her crew will begin undocking the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft from the space station on March 11 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Live undocking coverage can be found at NASA TV. The spacecraft will undock from the space station at 2:05 a.m. Eastern Time and fly to Earth.
The spacecraft is scheduled to splashdown at 9:02 p.m. Eastern Time off the coast of Florida.
NASA will be alternating between audio and live video feed coverage for the duration of Crew-5’s journey home.
March 11, 2023 (times are listed in Eastern Time and can change for real-time operations):
12 a.m. – Hatch closure coverage begins on live NASA TV
12:15 a.m. – Hatch closing
1:45 a.m. – NASA TV coverage resumes for undocking
2:05 a.m. — Undocking
8:00 p.m. – Splashdown coverage begins on NASA TV
8:25 p.m. – Deorbit burn
9:02 p.m. – Splashdown
11 p.m. – Return to Earth media teleconference
Crew-5, Mann’s group, joined Expedition 68 in October and have been conducting scientific experiments and technology demonstrations on the floating laboratory to prepare for future space exploration to the moon and Mars. One experiment focused on plant growth so humans can grow fruits and vegetables in space and another looked at how space can affect the human nervous system.
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Mann completed her first spacewalk in January and second in February with Japan’s Wakata where they prepared the space station for new solar panels launching this summer. NASA is working to enhance the laboratory’s power grid.
On Mann’s second spacewalk, which took six hours and 41 minutes, she captured a couple cool space selfies with her helmet visor down and up.
While the 180-plus days in space were dedicated to work, the crew did make time for some fun.
The Expedition 68 astronauts dressed up as characters from the Super Mario Bros. franchise. Mann portrayed Mario, according to the NASA Astronauts Twitter.
They sent a shout out to the two World Series teams, the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies.
Mann also fit in some mic time to celebrate Native American Heritage Month and showed how she drinks a cappuccino in space.
ICT is covering Mann’s return to Earth. Stay updated at ictnews.org.
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This story was corrected to reflect the time Crew-5 spent on the International Space Station.