Space station crew returns after record-setting 235-day mission

Strapped into nan SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour, 3 NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut returned to Earth early Friday, splashing down successful nan Gulf of Mexico to adjacent retired an extended 235-day expedition to nan International Space Station.

After a high-speed re-entry supra Central America and a steep descent to nan Gulf, Crew 8 commandant Matthew Dominick, co-pilot Michael Barratt, astronaut Jeanette Epps and cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin settled to a gentle, on-target splashdown southbound of Pensacola, Florida, astatine 3:29 a.m. EDT.

An infrared position of nan Crew Dragon's descent to an on-target splashdown successful nan Gulf of Mexico southbound of Pensacola, Florida. NASA TV

A SpaceX squad stationed adjacent was connected nan segment wrong minutes to stabilize nan capsule, make judge nary toxic propellant fumes were coming and past to haul it aboard a adjacent betterment vessel wherever NASA formation surgeons and support unit were opinionated by to transportation nan returning position fliers retired of nan unit cabin.

Despite 2 hours of workout per time passim their enactment successful orbit, returning position astronauts request astir a period aliases much to regain their "land legs" aft months successful nan weightless situation of space.

As such, Dominick, Barratt, Epps and Grebenkin were carried retired of nan Crew Dragon and helped onto stretchers earlier being rolled wrong nan vessel for first aesculapian checks and calls to family and friends. All 4 appeared successful bully spirits, smiling and waving arsenic they were rolled inside.

Safely aboard SpaceX's betterment ship, nan Crew 8 fliers smiled for nan camera earlier they were carried retired of nan spacecraft for first aesculapian checks, opening their re-adjustment to gravity aft astir 8 months successful weightlessness.  Left to right: cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, co-pilot Matthew Barratt, commandant Matthew Dominick and astronaut Jeanette Epps.  NASA

Mission long was 235 days 3 hours and 35 minutes, during which nan spacecraft circled nan globe 3,776 times covering 100 cardinal miles since launch from nan Kennedy Space Center connected March 3.

The unit primitively expected to return to Earth successful September. But nan formation slipped into early October successful nan aftermath of a determination to hold nan motorboat of their Crew 9 replacements because of problems pinch Boeing's Starliner unit ferry ship.

NASA yet ruled retired bringing Starliner commandant Barry "Butch" Wilmore and co-pilot Sunita Williams backmost to Earth aboard nan Boeing spacecraft. Instead, nan Starliner came down without its crew connected September 7 and Crew 9 was launched pinch conscionable 2 passengers -- Nick Hague and cosmonaut Alexander Gobrunov -- on Sept. 28.

That freed up 2 seats aboard nan Crew Dragon for Wilmore and Williams to usage erstwhile they travel location adjacent February pinch Hague and Gorbunov.

Sorting each that retired pushed nan Crew 8 departure into October. NASA and SpaceX past were many times held up by precocious winds and unsmooth seas astatine nan approved splashdown sites, overmuch of it related to hurricanes Helene and Milton.

But this week, conditions successful nan Gulf yet met NASA's information guidelines and nan unit was cleared to undock and caput for home.

With Crew 8 safely backmost connected Earth, nan Crew 9 unit will committee their ain Crew Dragon capsule early Sunday, Nov. 3, undock from nan Harmony module's guardant larboard and past redock astatine its space-facing port.

The adjacent day, an ISS-bound SpaceX cargo vessel is scheduled for motorboat from nan Kennedy Space Center. After an automated rendezvous, nan vessel will dock astatine nan conscionable vacated guardant larboard connected Nov. 5, predetermination time successful nan United States.

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