WASHINGTON – America’s first crewed spaceship to fly to the International Space Station in nearly a decade returned safely to Earth on Sunday, splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico.
The successful 64-day mission, carried out jointly by SpaceX and NASA, demonstrated that the United States has the capacity once more to send its astronauts to space and bring them back.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavor splashed into the water off Pensacola, Florida at 2:48 p.m. (2:48 a.m. in Manila), trailed by its four main parachutes.
It was the first water landing for a crewed US spaceship since the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission.
“It’s truly our honor and privilege,” said pilot Doug Hurley, who was joined on the mission by commander Bob Behnken.
Around an hour after splashdown, the astronauts exited the capsule and headed for shore on a helicopter. They would then take a plane to Houston, where they will reunite with their families. (AFP)
