Crew Dragon

Subject: Science and tech

Context:

NASA astronauts safely returned to Earth inside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule this afternoon, bringing their historic two-month mission at the International Space Station to an end

Concept:

• This successful technology demonstration has long term ramifications and will likely change the course of space exploration.
• Behnken and Hurley, tallying 64 days in space, undocked from the station on Saturday and returned home to land their capsule in calm waters off Florida’s Pensacola coast following a 21-hour overnight journey aboard Crew Dragon “Endeavor.”
• The successful splash-down, the first of its kind by NASA in 45 years, was a final test of whether SpaceX spacecraft can transport astronauts to and from orbit — a feat no private company has accomplished before.