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SpaceX fired four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the US crew’s first flight in darkness since the Apollo 8 moon shot in 1968.
The Dragon capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off Panama City, Florida just before 3 a.m., ending the second astronaut flight for Elon Musk’s company.
It was an express trip home, lasting only 6.5 hours.
NASA’s Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker, and Japan’s Soichi Noguchi, returned home in the same Dragon capsule that delivered them to the space station last November.
In this image taken from a NASA television video, the SpaceX Dragon capsule lands in the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle early Sunday, May 2, 2021. SpaceX fired four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the first landing of the American crew in the dark from the Apollo 8 moonshot. (NASA TV via AP)
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Hopkins said over the radio as the capsule detached 260 miles (420 kilometers) above Mali.
Despite the early splash hour, the Coast Guard deployed additional patrols – and searchlights – to keep night owls away. SpaceX’s first crew’s capsule was surrounded by boaters last summer, posing a safety risk.
SPACEX LAUNCHES NASA TEAM FOR ISS MISSION ON REUSED ROCKET AFTER DELAY
This image from video provided by NASA shows the SpaceX capsule as it departs from the International Space Station on Saturday, May 1, 2021. A SpaceX capsule carrying four astronauts left the International Space Station late Saturday, aiming for a rare descent night to end the business. second crew flight. (NASA via AP)
Hopkins, the spacecraft’s commander, climbed into orbit with his crew on November 15 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Their replacements arrived a week ago aboard their own Dragon capsule – the same that launched SpaceX’s first crew last spring.
The four should have been back sooner, but the offshore winds held them back at the space station a few more days. SpaceX and NASA have determined that the best time will be before dawn.
The delays allowed Glover to celebrate his 45th birthday in space on Friday.
“Gratitude, wonder, connection. I am full and motivated by these feelings on my birthday as my first space mission draws to a close,” Glover tweeted.
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Saturday night’s undocking left seven astronauts at the space station: three Americans, two Russians, a Japanese and a French.
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