NASA's First Commercial Crew Safely Splash Down After Space Station Mission
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Four astronauts splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico, completing NASA's first commercial, long-duration mission aboard the International Space Station.
The return comes nearly six months after the crew members arrived at the microgravity laboratory and also marks the longest-duration mission of a crewed American spacecraft to date.
SpaceX's Crew Dragon, carrying NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and Japan's Soichi Noguchi, returned to Earth in a parachute-assisted splashdown at 2:56 a.m. ET Sunday off the coast of Panama City, Florida. Crews aboard SpaceX recovery vessels successfully recovered the spacecraft and astronauts. After returning to the shore, the astronauts will fly back to Houston.