SpaceX’s history-making Crew Dragon mission has come to a close two months after it began. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley successfully landed in the Atlantic Ocean after starting their return to Earth nearly 20 hours earlier. This completes the first crewed orbital flight using a private spacecraft, not to mention the first crewed spaceflight from the US since NASA retired the Space Shuttle in 2011. It’s also the first US splashdown in 45 years.
Like the launch itself, the Crew Dragon landing was highly automated compared to many previous human-piloted missions. Behnken and Hurley still accomplished a lot, though, including performing and contributing to numerous experiments while they were aboard the International Space Station.
Good splashdown of Dragon confirmed! Welcome back to Earth, @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug! pic.twitter.com/0vAS3CcK9P
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 2, 2020
It’s an important occasion beyond the firsts involved. This is the last Crew Dragon test flight. Once SpaceX receives NASA certification, future flights will be regular missions carrying astronauts to the ISS. For NASA, meanwhile, it’s a major step forward for a Commercial Crew Program that could allow for more flights and lower costs.
SpaceX is also eyeing flights using Starship for journeys to places as distant as Mars, and Crew Dragon’s success suggests that the firm is on the right track.
