Four astronauts from the space station came back to Earth late Saturday night on a quick SpaceX flight.
Their capsule landed in the Gulf of Mexico near Tampa, Florida, just off the coast of Florida.
The crew from the United States, Russia, and Japan spent five months at the International Space Station. They got there in October of last year.
In addition to avoiding space junk, the astronauts had to deal with two leaking Russian capsules docked to the orbiting outpost and the urgent delivery of a replacement craft for the station’s other crew members.
The astronauts left the station early Saturday morning, led by NASA’s Nicole Mann, who was the first Native American woman to fly in space. After less than 19 hours, their Dragon capsule was floating in the water while they waited to be picked up.
On March 11, 2023, the capsule of the SpaceX Dragon Endurance spacecraft floats into the water near Tampa, Florida. The parachutes have been opened.
High winds and waves in the splashdown zones kept them at the station for a few extra days earlier in the week. Their new ones have been there for more than a week.
“That was one heck of a ride,” Mann said over the radio right after the spacecraft landed. “We’re glad to be back home.”
When the capsule lands in the Gulf of Mexico near Tampa, Florida, it is taken out of the water and put on a recovery ship.
NASA TV/AFP images from Getty
Mann, who is from the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in Northern California, said she couldn’t wait to feel the wind on her face, smell the fresh grass, and eat some tasty Earth food.
Koichi Wakata from Japan wanted sushi, and Anna Kikina from Russia wanted to drink hot tea “from a real cup, not from a plastic bag.”
On Josh Cassada’s list of things to do, there was getting a rescue dog for his family. Before leaving the space station, he made a joke: “Please don’t tell our two cats.”
Three people from the United States, three from Russia, and one from the United Arab Emirates are still at the space station.
Wakata is Japan’s most experienced space traveller. He has spent more than 500 days in space over five missions dating back to the time when NASA had shuttles.
