Return To Earth

by Maggie Sefton

                                                                                                                   
My entire family is getting excited right now because my daughter---NASA Astronaut Serena---will return to Earth with her two crew mates on or about December 19th of this month.  Serena plus Russian Cosmonaut Kasparov and ESA (European Space Agency) Astronaut Gerst will climb aboard the Soyuz capsule and leave the International Space Station (ISS) to return to Earth.  Believe me, Cozy Chicks readers and Friends, I will breathe a huge sigh of relief when my daughter is once again on Mother Earth.

Serena and her crew mates, Kasparov and Gerst, plus  the three new astronauts who recently joined them via the Soyuz, have been kept busy.  The SpaceX Falcon rocket has brought up new shipments of supplies including their recent Thanksgiving dinner.  It's also brought new scientific experiments for the astronauts to research in the weightless environment of the ISS.

Serena also participated in several Question and Answer sessions with Elementary, Junior High, and High School students.  I was able as a family member to watch the live sessions on NASA TV.  The kids always asked fascinating questions.  Pictured above is  Serena during one of these NASA TV student sessions.