SpaceX Crew Dragon returns NASA astronauts to Earth after historic mission – Times of Oman

SpaceX Crew Dragon returns NASA astronauts to Earth after historic mission – Times of Oman

In the frame grab from NASA TV, an astronaut is seen assisted out of the SpaceX Crew Dragon "Endeavour" spacecraft on the SpaceX recovery vessel GO Navigator off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, the United States, on Aug. 2, 2020. (NASA TV/Handout via Xinhua)

WASHINGTON: The SpaceX Crew Dragon "Endeavour" spacecraft carrying two NASA astronauts parachuted to a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida on Sunday, completing a two-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

The spacecraft splashed down off the coast of Pensacola, Florida at 2:48 p.m. EDT (1848 GMT) Sunday.

The weather conditions appeared "great" for the parachute splashdown, tweeted NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.

The SpaceX recovery vessel GO Navigator was waiting at the landing zone. The recovery teams reached the SpaceX Dragon capsule and gathered the parachutes in the water.

SpaceX engineers did a purge of vapor fumes around the Dragon Endeavour to ensure the safety of the crew when they opened the hatch.

The spacecraft hatch was later opened. NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley were safely brought out of the capsule.

The return began at 7:35 p.m. EDT Saturday, when the Crew Dragon spacecraft autonomously undocked from the ISS Harmony module.

After an approximately 19-hour return