ISS Astronauts Return To Earth After 6 Months
Four astronauts are back to earth after using six months on the International Space Station, their arrival was broadcasted live by NASA.
The international crew conducted thousands of experiments in orbit and helped upgrade the solar panels on the ISS during their “Crew-2” mission.
Its descent slowed by four huge parachutes, their Dragon spacecraft — dubbed “Endeavour” — splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico at 10:33 pm (0333 GMT Tuesday) before it was lifted onto a recovery ship.
Real-time infrared thermal video imaging captured a glimpse of the capsule streaking like a meteor through the night sky over the Gulf minutes before splashdown.
Applause was heard from the flight control center as the four main parachutes inflated above the capsule, seen drifting down toward the Gulf surface and slowing to about 15 miles per hour (24 kph) before dropping gently into the calm sea.
NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough, Akihiko Hoshide of Japan and Frenchman Thomas Pesquet from the European Space Agency were then taken out of the capsule and placed on stretchers as a precautionary motive – human bodies need to be re-adjusted to normalcy after extended periods in space.
