Andreas Mogensen marveled at the smoothness of their landing. As the first astronaut from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the first non-American to pilot a U.S. commercial crew spacecraft, Mogensen, alongside his SpaceX Crew-7 colleagues, made a triumphant return to Earth on March 12 after a 197-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
During their initial post-flight press conference at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on March 25, Mogensen described their splashdown as akin to gently dropping into a pool with a life vest on. “The landing was noticeably smoother than my first flight,” he remarked, comparing it to his 2015 descent in Kazakhstan in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. He attributed this difference to the SpaceX Dragon’s water landing, which he believes significantly contributed to the gentleness of their return.
“It felt like a very soft splash,” Mogensen added, emphasizing the mildness of their touchdown.
NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, who led Crew-7, concurred about the softness of the landing, though she experienced the aftermath as more turbulent than others did. “It felt like we were swaying side to side quite a bit,” she shared, noting that her perception differed from others who described the water as calm at the time of their landing.
Upon returning to solid ground, the crew, which included Moghbeli, Mogensen, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa (Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, the fourth member, had already returned to Russia), underwent physical tests to assess their adaptation to Earth’s gravity. Mogensen detailed their attempts to walk straight, first with eyes open and then closed, highlighting the challenge of regaining balance after six months in zero gravity.
Moghbeli humorously mentioned performing a “nice tap dance” during her eyes-closed test, illustrating the crew’s lighthearted approach to their re-acclimation process.
Back on Earth, the astronauts quickly began indulging in the simple pleasures they missed while in space. Furukawa longed for a hot bath, particularly in a hot spring, due to the absence of water accumulation in zero gravity. Similarly, Moghbeli craved hot showers and a broader selection of foods. “My first meal back was a roast beef sub with Cape Cod potato chips, followed by a 16-ounce prime rib with fries for dinner,” she shared, highlighting the joy of satisfying those cravings.
During their tenure on the ISS, Crew-7 witnessed the arrival and departure of seven visiting vehicles, contributed to hundreds of experiments and technology demonstrations, and Moghbeli completed her first spacewalk. Despite the overall success of their mission, they faced minor challenges, such as Moghbeli’s tool bag drifting away during an extravehicular activity and the difficulty of capturing clear photographs of Earth due to atmospheric conditions.
Furukawa experienced a humorous mix-up when attempting to photograph Mount Fuji, only to capture an image of the floating tool bag instead. This incident, shared with laughter, underscored the unpredictable nature of their experiences in space.
Reflecting on their six-month journey, Moghbeli acknowledged the mix of good and challenging days, emphasizing the profound impact of their time on the ISS. “I loved being on the space station. It was the most incredible experience of my life, despite missing significant events back on Earth,” she said, affirming her deep appreciation for the opportunity to live and work in space.