With SpaceX Crew 8 only weeks away from returning home to Earth, one homegrown astronaut is sharing some of her experiences so far.

SpaceX Crew 8 is in the fifth month of its six-month trip. Astronaut Jeanette Epps, who grew up in Syracuse, is our close connection to this crew.

Epps and fellow crew members launched into space in March after numerous delays. The aerospace engineer's mission is to study the viability of humans in outer space. NASA says that just yesterday, Epps spent her day collecting and processing blood and saliva samples from her crew mates.

Epps is a highly regarded and talented student throughout her time at Corcoran High School and Le Moyne College. All that time studying, though, could not have prepared her for what it would be like to do research like this on the International Space Station.

Epps is also taking her knowledge to classrooms, answering questions from students while in space. She's also posting pictures on social media as shoutouts home from space.

She was able to experience the total solar eclipse from space, and says it was a beautiful shadow covering the earth.

The plan is for Epps and her team to return home in the next few weeks.