Cape Canaveral: Four astronauts returned to earth on Monday, riding with SpaceX to end the 200-day space station mission which began last spring.
Their capsules shot through the late night sky like a charming meteor before plunging up to the Mexican Bay off the coast of Pensacola, Florida.
Recovery boat quickly moved with spotlights.
“On behalf of SpaceX, welcome to Planet Earth,” Radio Mission Spacex control from South California.
Homecoming them – came only eight hours after leaving the International Space Station – opening the way for the spacex launch of their four substitutes on Wednesday night.
Newcomers are scheduled to be launched first, but NASA divert orders due to bad weather and medical medical conditions of confidential astronauts.
The assignment of reception will now fall into Lone American and two Russians left at the Space Station.
Before Monday Actnoon, astronaut astronaut Matthias Maurer, who waited to be launched in the center of the Kennedy NASA room, tweeted the embarrassing both crew would not overlap at the space station but “we believe you will leave everything well and neat.” This will be the flight of the fourth Spacex crew for NASA in just 1 1/2 year.
Astronaut NASA Shane Kimrough and Megan McArthur, Akihiko Hoshide Japan and Thomas French Pesquet should have returned Monday morning, but strong winds in the recovery zone they delay their return.
“One more night with this magical scene.
Who can complain? I will miss our spacecraft!” Pesquet tweeted with a short video showing the space station lights up against the darkness of the room and the city lights that twinkled on the night side.
From the Space Station, Astronot NASA Mark Vande Hey – Central through a one-year flight match to every friends who departed, told McArthur, “I will miss hearing your laughter in the adjacent module.” Before leaving the environment, four spin around the space station, take pictures.
This is the first for SpaceX; NASA shuttle was used to do it all the time before their retirement was a decade ago.
Then the last Russian capsule was three years ago.
It’s not the most comfortable trip back.
The toilet in their capsules was broken, and the astronauts needed to rely on diapers for the trip home eight hours.
They ignore them at the weekend again as another challenge.
In their mission.
The first problem appeared shortly after taking off April; Mission control warns a piece of garbage threatening to collide with their capsules.
It turns out a false alarm.
Then in July, drivers in the new Russian lab arrived accidentally fired and sent stations into the round.
The four astronauts take refuge in anchored Spacex capsule, ready to make a hasty departure if necessary.
Among the optimistic milestones: four spacecraft to increase solar power station, a film.
– Make a visit by the Russian film crew and the first space harvest of chili.
The next crew will also spend six months there, welcome tourist groups back.
Japan’s tycoon and his personal assistant will get a ride from the Russian space agency in December, followed by three entrepreneurs who arrived through SpaceX in February.
Spacex’s first private flights, in September, passed the space station.