Stunning Image Gallery Documents Thrilling SpaceX Splashdown – First Splashdown of American Astronauts in 45 Years

SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour Spacecraft Splashdown

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft is seen as it lands with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley onboard in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, Sunday, August 2, 2020. The Demo-2 test flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program was the first to deliver astronauts to the International Space Station and return them safely to Earth onboard a commercially built and operated spacecraft. Behnken and Hurley returned after spending 64 days in space. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday afternoon aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon “Endeavour,” wrapping up a two-month, 27.1-million-mile mission to the International Space Station on the agency’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission. The August 2, 2020, splashdown at 2:48 p.m. EDT off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, marked the first time a commercially built and operated American crew spacecraft returned from the International Space Station.

Below is a gallery of images of the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour splashdown and recovery. Additionally, watch stunning 4K video of the splashdown as well as video of the NASA SpaceX Crew Dragon astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley talking about this milestone in human spaceflight.

7 Comments on "Stunning Image Gallery Documents Thrilling SpaceX Splashdown – First Splashdown of American Astronauts in 45 Years"

  1. Bet that’s the last time that private boats are going to get so close to a recovery operation.

  2. Michael Valadez | August 10, 2020 at 2:43 am | Reply

    Once again the Dragon does not appear to be landing perpendicular to the axis of the parachutes. It appears off kilter and not hitting the water flat.
    Why has this not yet been fixed?
    mdv

    • I’m sure an edgewise splash entry is intentional. It would lessen the shock.
      I have landed by parachute. The easiest fall (called a PLF – parachute landing fall) is along your side.

  3. ensign noitall | August 10, 2020 at 9:17 am | Reply

    Inertial dampeners were offline captain.

  4. Awesome!

  5. Jerome Wood S.R. | August 12, 2020 at 12:09 pm | Reply

    I agree landing on a edge like a knife goes alot smoother with less shock than hitting square like a belly flop!

  6. If you lost souls beleive in the biggest lie in history next to the second biggest lie in our age the fake Crown/Corona/Covid 19 virus Fake space. There is no helping yall.

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