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SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Splashes Back to Earth After Debut Flight
- Return caps a key mission toward ferrying astronauts
- Boeing’s Starliner is set to fly as soon as next month
Separation of the Crew Dragon.
Source: NASA
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SpaceX’s Crew Dragon returned to Earth after a debut test flight to the International Space Station, completing a crucial step toward flying people for the first time on a commercially built vehicle.
Slowed by four parachutes during its descent, the unmanned spacecraft splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean around 8:45 am Eastern time Friday about 250 miles east of Kennedy Space Center in Florida, roughly six hours after undocking. Before sealing the Crew Dragon at 12:39 p.m. Thursday for its return, astronauts loaded the vessel with about 330 pounds (150 kilograms) of supplies and other materials to send home.