NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara returns to Earth after a 6-month mission on the International Space Station! Read about her research and the future of space exploration.
 |
| A successful mission for NASA! Astronaut Loral O'Hara lands after 6 months on the ISS, paving the way for Artemis moon program. Image: NASA |
Houston, Texas, April 6, 2024:
NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara, along with her crewmates, successfully completed a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and landed safely in Kazakhstan today.
O'Hara, on her first spaceflight, spent 204 days orbiting Earth aboard the ISS. This historic mission contributed valuable research to support NASA's Artemis program, paving the way for future human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Her research focused on crucial areas like heart health, cancer treatments, and innovative space manufacturing techniques.
"Welcome home, Loral!" said a jubilant official at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. O'Hara and her fellow crewmates, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and Belarus spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya, departed the ISS on Friday evening aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft. They landed safely near the remote town of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan early Saturday morning.
Following standard post-landing medical checks, the crew will return to their respective home countries. O'Hara is expected to board a NASA plane soon for her return to Houston.
Meanwhile, with the departure of the Soyuz MS-24, a new chapter unfolds on the ISS. Expedition 71 officially began with the remaining crew: NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Tracy C. Dyson, and Jeannette Epps, alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub, Alexander Grebenkin, and Oleg Kononenko. This multinational team will continue vital research aboard the orbiting laboratory until fall 2024.
O'Hara's successful mission signifies a significant milestone for NASA's Artemis program. The valuable data collected during her stay on the ISS will contribute significantly to future human space exploration endeavors. Her dedication and scientific contributions pave the way for the next generation of astronauts who will boldly venture beyond Earth.