SpaceX - Dragon Crew-5 Mission patch.
March 11, 2023
Dragon Endurance Deorbit Burn Complete
Image above: The SpaceX Dragon Endurance crew ship, carrying four Crew-5 members, approaches the International Space Station 260 miles above the Pacific Ocean southwest of the Hawaiian island chain in this photo from Oct. 6, 2022. Image Credits: NASA/Kjell Lindgren.
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina on their return to Earth after a nearly six-month science mission has completed its deorbit burn as expected ahead of splashdown at approximately 9:02 p.m. EST in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tampa, Florida.
Four minutes before splashdown, the drogue parachutes will deploy at about 18,000 feet in altitude while Dragon is moving approximately 350 miles per hour, and less than a minute later, the main parachutes deploy at about 6,000 feet in altitude while the spacecraft is moving approximately 119 miles per hour.
Crew-5 Safely Returns to Earth After Splashdown
Image above: The SpaceX Dragon Endurance is seen as it splashes down in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tampa, Florida, at 9:02 p.m. EST, returning Crew-5 to Earth. Image Credit: NASA TV.
NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina splashed down safely in the SpaceX Dragon Endurance in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Tampa, Florida, at 9:02 p.m. EST after 157 days in space.
SpaceX Crew-5 splashdown
Teams on the Shannon recovery ship, including two fast boats, now are in the process of securing Dragon and ensuring the spacecraft is safe for the recovery effort. As the fast boat teams complete their work, the recovery ship will move into position to hoist Dragon onto the main deck of Shannon with the astronauts inside. Once on the main deck, the crew will be taken out of the spacecraft and receive medical checks before a helicopter ride to Tampa to board a plane for Houston.
Related article:
Dragon Endurance Undocks from the Space Station
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2023/03/dragon-endurance-undocks-from-space.html
Related links:
Commercial Crew: https://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/crew/index.html
International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html
Images (mentioned), Video, Text, Credits: NASA/Heidi Lavelle/NASA TV/SciNews.
Best regards, Orbiter.ch
