The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts back to Earth landed off the coast of Florida early this morning. This is the first night landing at sea in more than 50 years for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
AFP reports that NASA said the astronauts returned to Earth after a nearly six-month mission on the International Space Station (ISS), and they are reportedly feeling well.
Video credit: YouTube KPRC2 Click2Houston channel
Night vision images from NASA’s WB-57 high-altitude research aircraft show the capsule landing at 2:56 a.m. in the Gulf of Mexico off Panama City, Florida, after a 6 1/2-hour flight from ISS.
About half an hour later, the team aboard the recovery vessel Go Navigator retrieved the capsule and hoisted it onto the deck.
It was the first time NASA had performed a nighttime sea landing since the Apollo 8 crew returned to the Pacific Ocean on Dec. 27, 1968.
Spacecraft Commander Michael Hopkins was the first person to appear after the hatch opened, and he stepped onto the deck and did a little dance. Soon after NASA astronaut Glover (Victor Glover) also left the capsule.
Hopkins said in a NASA tweet, “We want to thank you on behalf of the Crew-1 mission members and our families… When people come together, they can do amazing things. You are all people who are changing the world. Congratulations. It’s good to be back.”
The other two people in the capsule were NASA astronaut Shannon Walker and Japanese astronaut Satoshi Noguchi.
NASA’s new Administrator Bill Nelson welcomed the four home and congratulated the NASA and SpaceX teams for their efforts to ensure the astronauts’ safe and successful landing at sea.
Nelson said: “We’ve done another incredible job of flying in space for the United States and for our commercial and international partners. Safe and reliable travel to and from the International Space Station is exactly what NASA envisioned when it launched the commercial crew program.”
The SpaceX Skylon capsule landed off Florida early this morning. It was NASA’s first nighttime landing at sea in more than 50 years.
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