The SpaceX capsule successfully returns to Earth

capsule of SpaceX coming from International Space Station (ISS) Four astronauts traveling on Monday fell off the coast of Florida, according to a live broadcast by Agence France-Presse NASA.

It is pressed by the Earth’s atmosphere, as well as by four huge parachutes, The Dragon capsule withstood a staggering descent thanks to its heat shield, as it splashed into the Gulf of Mexico at 10:33 p.m. EDT Tuesday (03:33 GMT), ending the Crew-2 mission.

A ship will retrieve the capsule and the astronauts on board will be brought back to Earth by helicopter.

Since arriving at the International Space Station on April 24, the American, French and Japanese crew have conducted hundreds of experiments and helped improve the station’s solar panels.

NASA announced that the four astronauts aboard the Dragon capsule, dubbed Endeavor (Effort), ejected from the International Space Station at 2:05 p.m. (1905 GMT).

Then Endeavor circled the International Space Station for about an hour and a half to take pictures.

This is the first mission of its kind since the Russian Soyuz spacecraft carried out a similar maneuver in 2018.

The Dragon capsule has a small circular window at the top of the front opening through which astronauts can take pictures.

“Proud to represent France again in space! Next stop, the Moon…” Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency (ESA) wrote on Twitter.

Crew 2’s return to Earth was delayed one day due to strong winds.

Bad weather and what NASA called a “minor medical problem” delayed the launch of the next group of astronauts, the Crew-3 mission, scheduled for Wednesday.

until that timeOnly three astronauts, two Russians and an American, will live on the International Space Station.

SpaceX began offering taxi service to astronauts to the International Space Station in 2020, ending nine years of America’s dependence on Russian rockets for travel after the space shuttle program ended.

The crew also faced a final challenge on their journey home. The four had to wear diapers after a problem with the capsule’s waste management system was discovered. They weren’t able to get to the toilet for about 10 hours, from the time the hatch closed at 5:40 p.m. until after they sprayed liquids, about 10 hours later.

“Of course it’s not optimal, but we are ready to adapt,” NASA astronaut Megan MacArthur told a news conference before departure.

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