Three NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut completed a 235-day expedition on the International Space Station aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour. The crew, consisting of commander Matthew Dominick, co-pilot Michael Barratt, astronaut Jeanette Epps, and cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, successfully splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico following a high-speed re-entry above Central America. They landed south of Pensacola, Florida, at 3:29 a.m. EDT to close out their mission.
After the splashdown, a SpaceX recovery team was stationed nearby to stabilize the capsule, ensure no toxic propellant fumes were present, and bring it aboard a nearby recovery ship. NASA flight surgeons and support personnel were on standby to assist the returning astronauts out of the capsule. Despite exercising two hours per day during their stay in orbit, it takes about a month or more for returning station astronauts to regain their “land legs” after experiencing months in the weightless environment of space. The astronauts were helped onto stretchers and rolled inside the ship for initial medical checks and calls to family and friends.
The mission duration was 235 days, three hours, and 35 minutes, during which the Crew Dragon spacecraft circled the globe 3,776 times, covering 100 million miles since its launch from the Kennedy Space Center on March 3. Originally scheduled to return in September, the crew’s departure was delayed due to problems with Boeing’s Starliner crew ferry ship. After resolving the issues and conditions in the Gulf finally meeting safety guidelines, Crew 8 was cleared to undock and head for home.
With Crew 8 safely back on Earth, the Crew 9 crew is scheduled to board their own Crew Dragon capsule for an undocking from the Harmony module’s forward port and redock at its space-facing port. An ISS-bound SpaceX cargo ship is planned for launch on November 4 from the Kennedy Space Center, docking at the vacated forward port on November 5. These events mark significant milestones in the ongoing collaboration between NASA, SpaceX, and their international partners in supporting missions to the International Space Station. The successful return of Crew 8 paves the way for future expeditions and the continuation of scientific research in space.
