SpaceX crew back safely

CAPE CANAVERAL: The quartet of newlyminted citizen astronauts comprising the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission has safely splashed down in the Atlantic off Florida's coast, completing a three-day flight of the first allcivilian crew ever launched into Earth orbit.

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, dubbed Resilience, parachuted into calm seas about 9 am AEST yesterday, following an automated re-entry descent, SpaceX showed during a live webcast on its YouTube channel.

Within an hour the four smiling crew members were seen emerging one by one from the capsule’s side hatch after the vehicle, visibly scorched on its exterior, was hoisted from the ocean to the deck of a SpaceX recovery vessel.

Each of the four stood on the deck for a few moments in front of the capsule to wave and give thumbs-up to the cameras. Each was then escorted to a medical station onboard for check-ups they were to undergo at sea. Afterward, the amateur astronauts were to be flown by helicopter back to Cape Canaveral for reunions with loved ones, SpaceX said.