SpaceX brings 4 astronauts home, then launches 53 satellites

CAPE CANAVERAL FL. –

SpaceX returned four astronauts to Earth on Friday night with a midnight splashdown in Gulf of Mexico. It was Musk’s busiest month so far.

Three U.S. astronauts, one German, and the capsule’s pilot were spotted bobbing near Tampa, Florida, less than 24 hours after they left the International Space Station. NASA expected them to return to Houston in the early hours of the morning.

“That was an amazing ride.” saidRaja Chari, commander of the capsule. Concerning the reintroduction of gravity, he stated: “Only one complaint. These water bottles are extremely heavy.

NASA’s Chari and Tom Marshburn, Kayla Barron and Matthias Maurer from the European Space Agency were both out of the capsule in less than an hour after splashdown. They waved and gave thumbs-up while being hustled on rolling chaises to undergo medical checks.

As they left the space station, Thursday was bittersweet as they held hands with the remaining astronauts.

“It’s a six-month mission that is over, but I believe that the space dream lives on,” Maurer stated. said.

SpaceX’s U.S. and Italian counterparts were brought aboard last week after they completed a charter flight to the station for three businessmen.

This is equivalent to two crew launches plus two splashdowns within a matter of a month. Musk’s company has launched 26 people into space in two years since it began ferrying astronauts to orbit for NASA. Eight of these 26 were space tourists.

William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX’s vice president, says it’s an “exciting time.”

Musk founded the company in 2002 and launched its latest batch of internet satellites, Starlinks, from Cape Canaveral just five hours later. This predawn load contained 53 mini-flat-panel satellites.

“Satellites can be nice, but flying people have their own unique qualities, and this team sure gets that,” he said to reporters. There’s a feeling of relief and accomplishment when you know that you have done something worthwhile.

NASA is amazed at SpaceX’s extraordinary pace. One problem was noted in Thursday’s latest SpaceX flight: a mechanical nut slipped loose and floated off the SpaceX capsule after Thursday’s undocking. Officials assured everyone that the capsule would not be in danger.

“Take a look at all the work done in the past month.” saidNASA’s chief space operations mission officer, Kathy Lueders. “I want to thank SpaceX personally for performing seamless operations on all of those missions.”

The astronauts saidThe three astronauts and their ex–astronaut escort, who visited NASA in April, highlighted their mission. After decades of resistance, NASA now allows paying guests to access its side of the station.

They had to deal with space junk that rose after Russia’s missile test on a satellite was conducted in November. Over 1,500 pieces were scattered throughout Earth’s orbit for many years.

While tensions between Russia and America have arisen from the conflict in Ukraine’s war, NASA astronauts stand by their Russian colleagues and vice versa. NASA officials claim that flight controllers from Houston and Moscow continued to cooperate as before.

Marshburn described the space station as “a place for peace” when he gave up command earlier this week. saidIts lasting legacy would be international cooperation. Russian OlegArtemyev, the new commander also stressed the “peace between the countries, our friendship” while in orbit and called his crewmates brothers and sister.

There are now three Russians, three Americans, and one Italian up there.

This was Marshburn’s third spaceflight and the first time that the three of them had returned with him. Chari and Barron may be next to the moon. They were among 18 American astronauts chosen for NASA’s Artemis moon landing program. Two other members of that elite group are currently at the space station.

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Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education supports the Associated Press Health and Science Department. All content is the sole responsibility of the Associated Press.