By Amanda Schmidt, AccuWeather staff writer
SpaceX’s unmanned Crew Dragon capsule made an old-fashioned splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, March 8, after its historic test flight to the International Space Station (ISS).
The splashdown ended a five-day test flight to the ISS, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The capsule was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Saturday, March 2, docking with the orbiting space lab the following day. Crew Dragon is the first American spacecraft to autonomously dock with the ISS.
(NASA via AP)
SpaceX's Dragon capsule carrying a test dummy splashed down into the Atlantic ocean off the Florida coast, Friday, March 8. It marks the first time in 50 years that a capsule designed for astronauts returned from space by plopping into the Atlantic.
(NASA via AP)
In this image from video made available by NASA, the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule is hoisted onto a ship in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast after it returned from a mission to the International Space Station.
(NASA TV via AP)
SpaceX's swanky new crew capsule, center, takes off after undocking from the International Space Station, right, Friday, March 8, 2019. The capsule undocked and is headed toward an old-fashioned splashdown.
(NASA TV via AP)
In this image taken from NASA Television, SpaceX's swanky new crew capsule, above, takes off after undocking from the International Space Station, right, Friday, March 8, 2019.
(NASA TV via AP)
SpaceX's swanky new crew capsule undocks from the International Space Station, left, Friday, March 8, 2019. The Dragon capsule pulled away from the orbiting lab early Friday, a test dummy named Ripley its lone occupant.
(NASA TV via AP)
SpaceX's swanky new crew capsule undocks from the International Space Station Friday, March 8. The capsule undocked and is headed toward an old-fashioned splashdown.
(NASA via AP)
In this photo provided by SpaceX, the SpaceX team in Hawthorne, Calif., watches as the SpaceX Crew Dragon docks with the International Space Station’s Harmony module, Sunday, March 3, 2019.
(AP Photo/Terry Renna)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a demo Crew Dragon spacecraft lifts off from pad 39A on an un-crewed test flight to the International Space Station at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, March 2, 2019.
(AP Photo/John Raoux)
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, speaks as NASA astronauts listen during a news conference after the SpaceX Falcon 9 Demo-1 launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday, March 2, 2019.
The Dragon capsule pulled away from the orbiting lab and headed back to Earth early Friday. Six hours later, after plunging through the Earth's atmosphere, the capsule, carrying a test dummy dubbed "Ripley," parachuted into the Atlantic.
The capsule landed a couple hundred miles off the Florida coast, splashing down at 8:45 am EST.
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This is the first time in 50 years that a capsule designed for astronauts returned from space by plopping into the Atlantic. The last time was when Apollo 9, which orbited Earth in preparation for the moon landings, splashed down near the Bahamas on March 13, 1969, according to NASA.
Space X's 'Go Searcher' recovery ship was staged in the Atlantic well before splashdown, NASA tweeted. The ship was prepared to quickly move in and was ready to lift Crew Dragon from the ocean.
AP News reports that when the red and white parachutes popped open during the splashdown, SpaceX employees cheered and applauded while watching the event from the company's headquarters near Los Angeles, California.
.@SpaceX's #CrewDragon is all packed up and ready for its journey back to Earth. Watch the spacecraft autonomously detach from the @Space_Station: nasa.gov/live. Undocking is targeted for 2:31am ET.
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“I’m kind of shaky and I’m super excited,” Benji Reed, SpaceX’s director of crew mission management, said to AP. “It was an incredible journey to get to this moment.”
The test flight is a crucial step in SpaceX’s plan to provide human spaceflight. While improvements still need to be made, SpaceX aims to fly NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on the next demo flight, AP News reports.
Prior to the test flight, SpaceX released a press release that reads, "This test flight without crew on board the spacecraft is intended to demonstrate SpaceX’s capabilities to safely and reliably fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program."
SpaceX acknowledges some capsule systems need more work before Behnken and Hurley climb aboard for liftoff, which may occur as early as July, AP reports.
High-definition cameras aboard the @Space_Station provide clear views of @SpaceX's #CrewDragon. After a five-day mission on our orbiting laboratory, the spacecraft is set to autonomously detach from the @Space_Station and descend to Earth. Watch: nasa.gov/live
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