NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 astronauts land in Florida

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【Summary】Four astronauts from NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 mission have successfully returned to Earth after a six-month stay on the International Space Station. Their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule made a splashdown landing off the coast of Florida. The astronauts endured high speeds and extreme temperatures during re-entry before deploying parachutes to slow their descent. Rescue crews are now preparing to retrieve the capsule from the ocean.

FutureCar Staff Sep 04, 2023 12:31 AM PT

NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 astronauts land in Florida

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Four astronauts have safely returned home from their six-month stay on the International Space Station. The crew, part of the Crew-6 mission conducted by NASA and SpaceX, made a splashdown landing off the coast of Florida on Monday. Departing the space station on Sunday morning, the crew spent the day aboard the Crew Dragon vehicle as it navigated through Earth's orbit. They successfully landed off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida after midnight.

Throughout the descent, the Crew Dragon capsule reached speeds of over 17,000 miles per hour. As it entered Earth's atmosphere, the spacecraft's exterior heated up to about 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the interior of the capsule remained at comfortable temperatures, thanks to a heat shield. To slow down the descent, parachutes were deployed, and rescue crews were ready at the splashdown site to retrieve the spacecraft.

Prior to their departure from the space station, NASA closely monitored the impact of Hurricane Idalia, which had made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast. The storm caused significant damage in northern Florida, southern Georgia, and the Carolinas.

The Crew-6 team consisted of four astronauts: Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg from NASA, Sultan Alneyadi from the United Arab Emirates, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. During their six-month stay on the orbiting laboratory, the Crew-6 astronauts oversaw more than 200 science and tech projects. They also conducted three spacewalks and welcomed the Axiom Mission 2 crew, which included a former NASA astronaut and three paying customers.

The Axiom Mission 2 crew was part of NASA's plan to increase commercial activity in low-Earth orbit. The mission included an American businessman and two astronauts from Saudi Arabia. Overall, the Crew-6 astronauts described their experience as a big adventure and a lot of fun.