The quartet of all-civilian astronauts, including billionaire Jared Isaacman, successfully touched down in the Atlantic off Florida’s coast after completing a three-day flight on the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission. Their Crew Dragon capsule, called Resilience, parachuted into calm waters around 7 p.m. ET, shortly before sunset, after an automated re-entry descent. The four were seen emerging from the capsule’s side hatch after the vehicle was hoisted from the ocean onto the deck of a SpaceX recovery vessel. Read more for two videos and additional information.
Despite scorching through Earth’s atmosphere, which generated frictional heat that sent temperatures outside the capsule to 1,927° Celsius, the astronauts’ flight suits are equipped with special ventilation systems to keep them cool even if the cabin warmed up. Once medical checks are finished at sea, the four civilian astronauts will be flown by helicopter back to Cape Canaveral to be reunited with loved ones.
- This LEGO set for adults features the Space Shuttle Discovery and the Hubble Space Telescope from NASA’s 1990 STS-31 mission
- Space enthusiasts will love unlocking the mysteries of our solar system with this engaging 2,354-piece project, packed with authentic details
- The Space Shuttle has an opening payload bay, retractable landing gear, opening cockpit, moving elevons, space arm, plus 5 seats for the crew
