Mission accomplished!
Two US astronauts successfully floated back to Earth in a SpaceX capsule Sunday — splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico to cap a historic voyage.
Spacemen Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley glided to the ocean under four massive parachutes that brought their craft down safely after two months inside the International Space Station — the first NASA water landing since 1975.
The pair began their descent inside the Crew Dragon Endeavour space capsule on Saturday evening, when the craft detached from the station and began its return trip.
“Welcome back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX,” said Mission Control from the company’s headquarters as they landed.
“It was truly our honor and privilege,” Hurley replied.
President Trump also welcomed the pair back to the planet.
“Astronauts complete first splashdown in 45 years. Very exciting!” Trump tweeted. “Great to have NASA Astronauts return to Earth after a very successful two month mission. Thank you to all!”
The capsule was taken aboard a recovery ship, where both space travelers eventually emerged — both flashing a thumbs up before being sent for medical exams.
The ship carried more than 40 staffers, including doctors and nurses, with the crew quarantined for two weeks and tested for the coronavirus to ensure they did not expose the duo.
The astronauts were flown to a Pensacola base by chopper for evaluation, and are due to fly back to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Sunday night.
Behnken and Hurley blasted off on a SpaceX craft to the ISS from Cape Canaveral, Fla. in late May.
The journey was the first ever commercial space mission and the first US launch into space since the last shuttle in 2011.
The mission also employed the first reusable rocket, with the Falcon 9 making a landing on a floating landing pad after detaching from the capsule after takeoff.
And SpaceX will fly again — the next launch, scheduled to blast off in September, will take a crew of four on a six-month space jaunt inside the same capsule and powered by the same rocket.
“Our goal is to make sure that there is a big demand in the future, and I would love to see a fleet of Crew Dragons servicing, not just the International Space Station, but also commercial space stations, which is why we’re working so hard every day to commercialize our activities,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said at a press conference.
With Post wires
