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SpaceX’s Crew-2 astronauts have splashed down within the Gulf of Mexico on the finish of an eight-hour voyage from the Worldwide Area Station (ISS).
The Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft carried out a parachute-assisted water touchdown on the anticipated time of 10:33 p.m ET (7:33 p.m. PT) on Monday, November 8.
The Crew-2 astronauts — NASA’s Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, the European Area Company’s Thomas Pesquet, and Aki Hoshide from Japan’s house company — departed the ISS at 2:05 p.m ET (11:05 a.m. PT) on Monday, November 8, after spending 199 days in house, and later splashed down within the Gulf of Mexico close to Pensacola, Florida.
SpaceX and NASA livestreamed the return journey and likewise dropped common posts on social media to maintain people updated with occasions.
Right here’s how the night unfolded:
After a six-month keep, Dragon and the Crew-2 astronauts are set to depart the @space_station in the present day at ~2:00 p.m. ET → https://t.co/bJFjLCilmc pic.twitter.com/fgKtzNztfE
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 8, 2021
Within the video beneath you possibly can take heed to NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei, who’s remaining on the ISS, say his goodbyes to the Crew-2 astronauts as they start their journey house:
That is what teamwork appears like.
As @SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour begins its flyaround of the @Space_Station, @Astro_Sabot shares phrases of farewell for his departing Crew-2 colleagues: pic.twitter.com/nBEAA6aRVa
— NASA (@NASA) November 8, 2021
Right here’s the Crew Dragon as seen from the house station shortly after the undocking process:
Dragon flying across the @space_station pic.twitter.com/ay5U5EhyNr
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 8, 2021
A sequence of departure burns despatched the Crew Dragon on its first-ever flyaround of the ISS in preparation for the ultimate levels of the return journey:
That's a lap! @SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour has accomplished its flyaround of the @Space_Station and is in a sequence of departure burns.
Go to https://t.co/z1RgZwQkWS for steady protection. We'll decide up last splashdown protection reside on Twitter ~9:30pm ET (02:30 UTC): pic.twitter.com/tDsx4egvlp
— NASA (@NASA) November 8, 2021
Forward of coming into Earth’s ambiance, the astronauts become their spacesuits:
Crew-2 astronauts have donned their spacesuits forward of Dragon's reentry into the Earth's ambiance pic.twitter.com/1kKg2iH7ZA
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 9, 2021
Getting into Earth’s ambiance at excessive velocity:
Early views of the @SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour reveal the plasma path of the automobile reentering the Earth's ambiance. pic.twitter.com/ZrBbO7hXNp
— NASA (@NASA) November 9, 2021
The ultimate levels of the voyage again to Earth had been captured by night time cameras:
Pesquet’s photos
Shortly earlier than departing the house station, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet posted a tweet to have fun 200 days in house.
200 jours dans l’espace valaient bien 99 photographs : voilà une assortment des meilleures de toute la #MissionAlpha. Il en reste encore des centaines ! 😉200 days in house deserved a 99 #bestof from the mission. The excellent news is that there are 100s left to share – extra to return! pic.twitter.com/rptTSsAfeX
— Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) November 8, 2021
It’s actually been a busy mission for Pesquet and his crewmates, who’ve spent the final half 12 months engaged on numerous science experiments whereas additionally conducting spacewalks and capturing fabulous imagery from 250 miles above our planet.
That is the fourth SpaceX mission to carry astronauts house from house utilizing its Crew Dragon spacecraft. Following years of testing, SpaceX’s first astronaut flight befell in the summertime of 2020 when it despatched NASA’s Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the house station, bringing them safely house two months later. Subsequent crewed voyages have included the Crew-1 mission that ran from November 2020 by way of Could 2021, the all-civilian Inspiration4 flight in September 2021, and the present Crew-2 mission.
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