SpaceX's ‘Dragon' spacecraft splashes down off the Oceanside coast
OCEANSIDE, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — A loud sonic boom echoed across Southern California on Friday morning as SpaceX's Dragon rocket and crew successfully reentered the Earth's atmosphere before splashing down in waters off the coast of Oceanside.
The rocket's four main parachutes deployed without issue, allowing those onboard, referred to as the Fram2 crew, to return to the planet safely after orbiting the Earth's polar regions for nearly four days. According to SpaceX, this mission was the first-of-its-kind.
The landing, which occurred at approximately 9:19 a.m. PT, was carefully coordinated with recovery teams stationed aboard SpaceX's recovery vessel, Shannon, ready to assist in bringing the capsule back to shore. The hatch to the space capsule was opened and the crew exited the Dragon unassisted in support of a research study pertaining to human health in space, specifically regarding their ability to perform functional tasks post-space travel.
This marks the first human spaceflight for designated Mission Commander Chun Wang, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge, and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips. During their multi-day mission, the crew conducted more than 20 research studies that SpaceX explained were designed 'to help advance humanity's capabilities for long-duration space exploration.' Put simply, the mission was meant to better understand how being in space for certain periods of time can impact human health.
'To-date, the crew has taken the first x-ray in space, performed exercise studies to maintain muscle and skeletal mass, and grown mushrooms in microgravity,' SpaceX noted online while highlighting the Fram2 crew's return.
A livestream of the event can be found here.
The spacecraft's return marks another milestone for the aerospace company's ambitious plans in space exploration. Additionally, this marks the first Dragon human spaceflight to splash down in the Pacific Ocean, according to SpaceX.
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