SpaceX Crew-2 Astronauts Splash-land on Earth After 199 Days

The SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts have successfully returned from the International Space Station(ISS) after spending 199 days in orbit, surpassing the previous record of the 168 days set by NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission. The crew reached at 10.33 PM EST Monday off the coast of Pensacola, Florida. The NASA-SpaceX Crew-2 comprises four astronauts, including Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet.

NASA stated in a statement that “NASA’s SpaceX Crew-2 astronauts have safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft.”The NASA administration described in the statement that “We’re happy to have Shane, Megan, Aki, and Thomas safely back on Earth after another successful, record-setting long-duration mission to the International Space Station.”He further said, “Congratulations to the teams at NASA and SpaceX who worked so hard to ensure their successful splashdown. NASA’s Commercial Crew Programme continues to demonstrate safe, reliable transportation to conduct important science and maintenance on the space station.”

The Crew-2 mission was introduced on April 23 on a Falcon rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew stayed for 198 days in the space station and finished 3,194 orbits across our planet. Crew 2 has been involved in maintenance activities, scientific research, and technology demonstrations throughout the mission. Not only that, but they also organized a public engagement activity while orbiting the laboratory. They also examined how gaseous flames worked in microgravity and grew chilies in the station. They also took many pictures of Earth. This mission remains one of the longest-running investigations aboard the space station. The launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission is expected to launch on November 10 for six months.