A SpaceX capsule carrying astronauts home from the International Space Station splashed down off the coast of Florida early Friday morning.
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Three NASA astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut started their mission to the International Space Station with weather delays and ended their mission at the mercy of weather once again, finally returning to Earth early Friday after a nearly eight-month stay in space.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, named Endeavour, brought NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Russian Cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin back to Earth at 17,500 mph after undocking from the ISS Wednesday evening. Endeavour slowed down after smashing into Earth’s atmosphere Friday morning, and then even more with the additional help of two sets of parachutes. With the main chute deployed, the capsule floated down to a few miles per hour, landing softly at sea around 3:30 a.m. ET off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 crew members pose for a photo inside SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA
(NASA)
A fast boat met the capsule, and the recovery vessel waited nearby to bring the toasty Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard. After the capsule was collected, SpaceX and NASA teams opened the hatch and welcomed the astronauts back to Earth.
Weather delays to start and finish Crew-8 mission
The four spent more time on the International Space Station than normal long-duration missions lasting six months because of hurricanes and unfavorable weather conditions off Florida‘s coasts. Their launch in March also faced multiple weather delays before liftoff.
The four-person crew was originally expected to return home over the summer, but their mission was extended to assist Boeing’s troubled crewed test flight. Then, the crew faced weeks of waiting for safe splashdown conditions off Florida’s west and east coasts. Hurricane Milton’s landfall in Florida, followed by windy conditions delayed the departure until this week.
NASA has specific weather criteria for a successful spacecraft recovery, including wind speed no greater than 15 feet per second and wave height no greater than 7 degrees wave slope. Lightning must be farther than 10 miles out, and rain chances need to be around 25%. These weather conditions are to ensure the safety of the astronauts and also the recovery crews retrieving them after splashdown.
The astronauts spent their extra time in space conducting dozens of research and experiments on the orbiting laboratory. Dominick continued to share his views from orbit through photography, including Hurricane Milton’s approach to Florida.