The 1st return of a commercially built and operated US spacecraft carrying two NASA astronauts from the Worldwide Room Station created waves Sunday when it splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico right as scheduled at 11:48 a.m. PT. 

The SpaceX Crew Dragon passengers — NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley — fittingly named the heritage-building spacecraft Endeavour. The astronauts securely exited the spacecraft on Sunday afternoon soon after a recovery at sea.

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine welcomed the astronauts house in a tweet. 

Crew Dragon undocked from the ISS at 4:35 p.m. PT on Saturday, kicking off the important final leg of the crewed examination mission that is meant to show SpaceX is ready to carry astronauts back again and forth to the ISS on a normal foundation. Crew Dragon had formerly aced its uncrewed Demo-1 exam flight back in March.

NASA Television set livestreamed the crew capsule’s return and was scheduled to broadcast a abide by-up information meeting at 1:30 p.m. PT on Sunday.

Behnken and Hurley arrived at the ISS in late May well after a smooth start. The return plan was originally uncertain because of to the arrival of a important storm together the Florida coastline.

Crew Dragon had 7 possible splashdown websites in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean to decide on from. A spot off the coastline of Pensacola, Florida, gained the honor. The climate held out properly, offering the astronauts quiet waters to land in.

A SpaceX recovery ship named GO Navigator was on site to retrieve the capsule, crew and parachutes. In a information convention on Friday, Behnken and Hurley mentioned they would have bags prepared in circumstance they seasoned seasickness even though waiting for pickup by the recovery crew. The astronauts reported they ended up accomplishing perfectly right after splashdown.

The splashdown followed a tense reentry procedure that put a lot of heat and anxiety on the spacecraft. Crew Dragon’s parachutes deployed as it closed in on its concentrate on and introduced it gently down into the sea. Scorch marks on the capsule ended up a testomony to the rigors of its return journey.

There was a hold off in opening the Crew Dragon hatch on board GO Navigator as the recovery crew purged toxic vapor fumes from close to the capsule.

Hurley and Behnken have been taken to a healthcare facility on the ship for first checkups as element of the conventional return procedures. They have been scheduled for a helicopter trip back to shore. 

“To any person who has touched Endeavour, you ought to just take a moment to just cherish this working day,” reported Hurley through the exit from Crew Dragon.

If the Demo-2 mission assessment goes efficiently, then NASA and SpaceX will go ahead with the 1st operational Crew Dragon mission, which is scheduled to start afterwards this yr. 

The secure return of Behnken and Hurley opens up a new foreseeable future for US spaceflight. It fulfills the guarantee of NASA’s Commercial Crew Plan and its quest to conclusion the room agency’s dependence on Russian spacecraft to have its astronauts to the ISS.