Crew-2 astronauts return back to Earth after nearly 200 days in space
A crew of astronauts safely splashed down off the Florida coast late Monday, setting the stage for the subsequent NASA and SpaceX crew to launch from Kennedy Space Center this week.
Crew-2 astronauts Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide, and Thomas Pesquet descended into serene waters south of Pensacola, Florida, at 10:33 p.m. ET, wrapping up an eight-hour journey from the Worldwide Area Station. The crew’s Crew Dragon capsule was then hoisted out of the Gulf of Mexico and onto a SpaceX ship, the place helicopters waited to move Crew-2 again to the mainland.
Mission elapsed time: simply hours shy of 200 days since launching from KSC in April.
“Nice to be again to planet Earth,” mission commander Kimbrough mentioned simply after splashdown. “Due to NASA, (European Area Company), and (Japan Aerospace Exploration Company) groups. It was an honor to signify you.”
“To our households: we sit up for seeing you quickly,” Kimbrough mentioned.
Kimbrough and McArthur are NASA astronauts. Hoshide joined Crew-2 on behalf of Japan; Pesquet represented ESA and his dwelling nation of France. After medical checkouts on the ship and a quick helicopter trip, they flew again to their dwelling base at Johnson Area Heart in Houston, Texas.
USA TODAY Community:From NASA to Blue Origin, the cutting-edge space industry has old problems: Sexism and harassment
Future plans:Boeing Starliner launch pushed into 2022 as teams investigate valve issue
Subsequent up is Crew-3, which was slated to launch on Halloween however has been delayed by weather conditions and a minor medical difficulty with one in every of its 4 crew members. With splashdown full, groups are actually specializing in launching NASA astronauts Kayla Barron, Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn, and ESA’s Matthias Maurer no sooner than 9:03 p.m. Wednesday.
Circumstances look good for Wednesday night time: 80% “go” for launch situations and “low-risk” for climate alongside the trajectory, in line with the Area Drive. Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon will launch towards the northeast.
What stays to be seen is that if groups might be prepared — it isn’t fully clear if restoration crews on-hand Monday night time could be wanted for Wednesday’s launch try. As a result of Crew Dragon can abort a launch and escape from a failing rocket, sea restoration groups must be ready within the occasion that Crew-3 splashes down within the Atlantic Ocean.
Monday night time’s profitable splashdown marked SpaceX’s third profitable crewed mission for NASA and fourth total when together with privately bought flights. Crew-3 will change into the corporate’s fifth, however throughout its six-month keep on the ISS, the corporate is anticipated to launch no less than another absolutely industrial mission with personal astronauts.
Boeing and its Starliner spacecraft have been additionally chosen for the NASA astronaut program often known as Business Crew, which was designed to exchange the area shuttle. Starliner, nonetheless, has been affected by {hardware} and software program points and is not slated to launch a second uncrewed take a look at flight till later in 2022.
Comply with Emre Kelly on Twitter @EmreKelly.