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.
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