Key takeaways:
- The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Tampa, Florida.
- The mission was led by NASA’s Nicole Mann, the first Native American woman to fly in space.
- The astronauts’ return to Earth marks the end of a successful mission that has seen the crew overcome a number of challenges.
Four astronauts returned to Earth on Saturday night after a successful five-month mission aboard the International Space Station. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, carrying two NASA astronauts, a Japanese space veteran, and a Russian cosmonaut, splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Tampa, Florida.
The capsule began its descent at 8:11 p.m. EST, when the astronauts initiated an automated 11-minute firing of the ship’s braking rockets. The Crew Dragon endured temperatures up to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit as it rapidly slowed in a brilliant fireball of atmospheric friction.
The mission was led by NASA’s Nicole Mann, the first Native American woman to fly in space. During their time aboard the ISS, the crew had to deal with a pair of leaking Russian capsules docked to the orbiting outpost and the urgent delivery of a replacement craft for the station’s other crew members.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a statement that the mission was a “testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team.” He added that the astronauts’ “safe return to Earth is a reminder of the progress we can make when we work together.”
The astronauts’ return to Earth marks the end of a successful mission that has seen the crew overcome a number of challenges. The mission is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire team, and a reminder of the progress that can be made when we work together.
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