The mission began at 21:42 UTC on September 14. The step-turtles stayed aboard the ship for 6 days, 18 hours, and 24 minutes. Although the trip was certainly traumatic for them, they returned to Earth in good condition, only slightly starved and with a slight reduction in muscle mass (they lost about 10 percent of their body weight). After landing, they received a nutritious diet and quickly returned to normal.
