After 199 days in space, the SpaceX Crew-2 Dragon Endeavour capsule returned to Earth Monday, with all crew members safe.
NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, Japan's Akihiko Hoshide and France's Thomas Pesquet were removed from the capsule around 10:30 p.m. Monday night, about an hour after the capsule splashed down off the coast of Pensacola.
People in south Alabama were able to witness the capsule on reentry.
The crew spent over six months working on the International Space Station.
The smooth water landing appeared spotless, except for one lagging parachute, but NASA said all four main chutes inflated properly. The capsule was slowed to 15 mph before it splashed into the sea.
"It's good to be back on planet Earth," Kimbrough said as Crew-2 Dragon Endeavour returned.
NASA is already preparing for Crew-3 to liftoff to the ISS on Nov. 10. NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, Kayla Barron and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer will work on the ISS for six months.
@spann #SpaceX reentry from Gulf Shores pic.twitter.com/ozyYSR71Ue
— Justin Time (@zaclies) November 9, 2021
