NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 Astronauts Safely Splashes Down in the Atlantic

As SpaceX recently commenced its Crew-7 mission, the agency in collaboration with NASA began to work on the return of the Crew-6 astronauts. Today, (September 4), at 12:17 am EDT (0417 GMT), four Crew-6 astronauts safely splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon “Endeavour” capsule.

These astronauts include NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg, UAE Astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi, and Roscosmos Cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. The crew splashed down off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida after spending six months aboard the International Space Station. They commenced their return trip by undocking from the orbiting laboratory at 7:05 am EDT (1105 GMT) and arrived on Earth at 12:17 am EDT (0417 GMT)

How the Crew-6 Astronauts Conducted Experiments Aboard The ISS

On March 2, the four astronauts commenced their journey to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) during the SpaceX Crew-6 mission launched aboard the Falcon 9 rocket. The crew docked with the ISS the next day after spending hours aboard the capsule. During their stay in the space station, they worked as Expedition 68 and Expedition 69 flight engineers.

The crew also engaged in three spacewalks, carried out maintenance aboard the orbital ISS, and also performed other duties. Hence, the Crew-6 astronauts were actively engaged in the day-to-day operations of the orbiting laboratory during their stay. The arrival of Crew-7 astronauts on August 26 relieved the Crew-6 astronauts from their duties to prepare for their return trip to Earth. Having exhausted the mission duration, the Crew-6 astronauts entered their return capsule and commenced their journey home earlier today.

Before the return journey commences, NASA astronaut Warren Hoburg who is part of the Crew-6 astronaut announces, “It’s certainly been the experience of a lifetime and a real honor to get to spend six incredibly short-feeling months living and working aboard this incredible orbiting outpost. I think we got a lot done.”

History Record Set Upon This Splashdown

Upon this successful splashdown, ALNeyadi became the first Arab and Emirati to execute a long-duration expedition in space before returning to Earth. He is also the second UAE astronaut to fly to the ISS after Hazza AlMansoori flew to the orbiting laboratory in 2019. Prince Sultan Al Saud of Saudi Arabia was the first Arab to reach space when he reached space aboard a NASA space shuttle in 1985.

“We had a good outreach with many people around the world, so it was really amazing —especially for my region,” AlNeyadi announced during the press briefing. “I come from a place where human spaceflights were stopped for more than 30 years, and I felt that I was obligated to show what’s happening with the station. I think it was a small boost towards spreading the enthusiasm in our region.”

SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour also set a record for achieving its fourth flight upon this splashdown. The reusable Crew Dragon Endeavour capsule flew during SpaceX’s first-ever human spaceflight to space and also during Demo-2, Crew-2, and the Axiom-1 space tourism mission.

How The Crew-6 Astronauts Splashed down and recovered

Upon splashdown, a ground crew aboard a recovery boat named “Megan” retrieved the spacecraft and the astronauts from the Atlantic Ocean. The powerful recovery boat is named after NASA astronaut Megan McArthur, who was the first woman to ever fly on SpaceX Dragon.

The Crew-6 astronauts will now undergo a recovery process and learn how to walk again in Earth’s gravity before resuming with other tasks ahead.

Conclusion

Crew-6 astronauts successfully splashdown in the Atlantic after spending six months aboard the International Space Station. A ground crew used a recovery boat named “Megan” to recover the capsule and the astronauts upon splashdown. They will undergo a series of recovery processes to master how to walk again in Earth’s gravity before resuming other engagements on Earth. Check out some of these astronauts’ customs for kids and adults.