SpaceX’ s capsule returns to Earth

SpaceX has returned four astronauts from the International Space Station, marking the first US crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moon mission.

The Dragon capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, ending the second astronaut flight for Elon Musk’s company.

It was an express trip home, lasting just six-anda-half hours.

The astronauts, three American and one Japanese, flew back in the same capsule – named Resilience – in which they launched from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Centre in November.

“We welcome you back to planet Earth and thanks for flying SpaceX,” SpaceX’s Mission Control radioed moments after splashdown.

“For those of you enrolled in our frequent flyer programme, you’ve earned 68 million miles on this voyage.”

“We’ll take those miles,” said spacecraft commander Mike Hopkins, adding: “Are they transferable?”

SpaceX replied that the astronauts would have to check with the company’s marketing department.

Within half an hour of splashdown, the charred capsule had been hoisted on to the recovery ship, with the astronauts exiting soon afterwards.

Nasa and SpaceX managers marvelled at how smooth the operation was.

Hans Koenigsmann, the company’s senior adviser, said: “It looked more like a race car pit stop than anything else.”

Mr Hopkins was the first one out. “It’s amazing what can be accomplished when people come together,” he told flight controllers at company headquarters in Hawthorne, California.

Their 167-day mission is the longest for astronauts launching from the US. The previous record of 84 days was set by Nasa’s final Skylab station crew in 1974.

Saturday night’s undocking left seven people at the space station, four of whom arrived a week ago via SpaceX.

“Earthbound!” Nasa astronaut Victor Glover tweeted after departing the station. “One step closer to family and home!”

Mr Glover – along with Mr Hopkins and Shannon Walker and Japan’s Soichi Noguchi – should have returned to Earth last Wednesday, but high winds forced SpaceX to miss two daytime landing attempts.

Managers switched to a rare splashdown in darkness, to take advantage of calm weather.

SpaceX’s next astronaut launch for Nasa will follow in October.

Nasa turned to private companies to service the space station, after the shuttle fleet retired in 2011.

SpaceX began supply runs in 2012 and, last May, launched its first crew, ending Nasa’s reliance on Russia for astronaut transport.

EARTHBOUND: From left, astronauts Shannon Walker, Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins and Soichi Noguchi.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience spacecraft shortly after it landed on Saturday.