'4 Astronauts Aboard' SpaceX Capsule... Successful Sea Landing (Comprehensive)

Four astronauts transported from the International Space Station (ISS) by SpaceX, a private American space company, using the crewed capsule 'Crew Dragon'
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] SpaceX, the American space exploration company, successfully returned four astronauts who had been staying at the International Space Station (ISS) to Earth via a maritime splashdown.

According to AP News and other American media outlets, SpaceX's 'Crew Dragon' capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida just before 3 a.m. Eastern Time on the 2nd.

This is the second time a SpaceX crewed spacecraft has returned to Earth. In August last year, NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken returned from the space station aboard Crew Dragon and successfully splashed down at sea.

SpaceX attempted a maritime splashdown again this time, but unlike the previous mission, the Crew Dragon deployed its parachutes and landed during nighttime.

This is the first time in 53 years since Apollo 8's return in 1968 that a crewed spacecraft in the United States has attempted a nighttime splashdown.

NASA's Johnson Space Center stated that SpaceX conducted numerous rehearsals for the nighttime splashdown and expressed confidence in its success. SpaceX had completed a nighttime maritime return mission with a cargo spacecraft in January.

The crew returning to Earth this time includes NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Soichi Noguchi.

They arrived at the space station aboard Crew Dragon in November last year and set the longest space stay record in American space exploration history. On the 1st at 8:30 p.m., they departed the space station aboard Crew Dragon and flew for nearly 6 hours and 30 minutes to return to Earth.

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