Astronauts describe their return to Earth on the SpaceX capsule: they felt really heavy

Washington, United States:

Four astronauts just returned from the International Space Station on Thursday described re-entering Earth’s atmosphere and splashing into the ocean after more than 160 days in space.

A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the crew to Earth crashed off Florida early Sunday during NASA’s first nighttime landing at sea in more than 50 years.

“There was a point where I was just saying to myself, breathe in. Breathe in, because I felt really heavy – I felt like these cartoons when they experience G and your face comes up. subsides, “said American Victor Glover, one of the astronauts in the group called Crew-1.

It was the first regular mission to be flown and then back from the ISS aboard a spacecraft built by the company of billionaire Elon Musk.

“I expected it to be so dynamic – and so stimulating – that the actual event, I think, was a little less than I expected, and so it was enjoyable all around,” said Glover said.

The weight of the acceleration was concentrated in the chest, making it difficult to breathe.

But then, “the launch and entry are such a unique experiences,” he said.

NASA hired SpaceX to launch astronauts into space from American soil, which has not been possible since 2011 with the end of the space shuttle program.

From that time until now, NASA has been forced to pay for trips to the ISS on Russian Soyuz ships, which land on dry land.

“Landing in the water was interesting as neither of us really knew what to expect, but I would say from my perspective it was a bit smoother than landing on land,” said the American astronaut Shannon Walker.

“You spend less time under a parachute on the Dragon than under the Soyuz,” he said.

Soon, space “tourists” – civilians who are not professional astronauts – will take their seats on Dragon.

US astronaut Mike Hopkins believes space tourists will be able to handle the rough back-to-school rides.

After civilians undergo centrifuge training, “it won’t be totally unique to them,” he said.

Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi said the landing went smoothly.

“The impact was very, very minimal, and right after the splash. We feel the waves, we come back to the planet of water.

“It’s a great feeling.”

(Except for the title, this story was not edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)