A capsule with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico. (Reuters…Read More
CAPE CANAVERAL: Two
Nasa
astronauts returned to Earth on Sunday in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown, their capsule parachuting into the Gulf of
Mexico
to close out an unprecedented test flight by
Elon Musk
‘s
SpaceX
company.
It was the first splashdown by US astronauts in 45 years, with the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from orbit. The return clears the way for another SpaceX crew launch as early as next month and possible tourist flights next year.
Test pilots Doug Hurley and
Bob Behnken
rode the SpaceX Dragon capsule back to Earth less than a day after departing the International Space Station and two months after blasting off from Florida. The capsule parachuted into the calm gulf waters off the coast of Pensacola, hundreds of miles from Tropical Storm Isaias pounding Florida’s Atlantic coast.
“Welcome back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX,” the company’s Mission Control said.
The a