Splashdowns

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  SpaceX's Fram2 Mission Ends with Historic West Coast Splashdown

  SpaceX has resumed Pacific Ocean splashdowns with its Crew Dragon capsule Resilience, marking a shift in its recovery strategy. The move comes after concerns over falling debris and a desire for more control during reentry. This method was once standard until 2019, before splashdowns shifted to Florida. SpaceX now separates the trunk section earlie...

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  SpaceX’s Fram2 Crew Captures First-Ever Views of Earth’s Polar Regions

  SpaceX’s Fram2 mission, launched on March 31, has made history as the first astronaut mission to orbit over both poles. The Crew Dragon spacecraft Resilience is carrying four first-time astronauts—Chun Wang, Jannicke Mikkelsen, Rabea Rogge, and Eric Phillips—on a research-driven journey. The crew has captured stunning images of Earth’s Arct...

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  SpaceX Fram2 Mission Lifts Off, First Private Flight Over Earth's Poles

  SpaceX's Fram2 mission has launched from Kennedy Space Center, marking a major milestone in private spaceflight. Led by billionaire Chun Wang, the crew of four will spend up to five days in orbit conducting 22 scientific experiments. Their research includes studying mushroom growth in microgravity and advanced X-ray imaging of the human body. The m...

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  "Capsule Full Of Grins": Sunita Williams' Fellow Astronaut After Splashdown

  Home at last: After an unexpected nine-month stay in space, a pair of NASA astronauts finally returned to Earth on Tuesday, concluding a mission that captured global attention and became a political flashpoint.

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  Starliner Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore Return to Earth with Crew-9

  NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, initially launched on Boeing’s Starliner, have returned to Earth after a prolonged nine-month stay aboard the ISS. Alongside Crew-9 members Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov, they departed the space station aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Freedom. Their return was delayed due to Starliner-related t...

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  Stranded In Space, NASA Astronauts Close To Return After Next ISS Launch

  Crew-10 is expected to dock early Thursday, followed by a brief handover before Crew-9 departs on March 16 for an ocean splashdown off the Florida coast.

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  SpaceX Starship Flight 7 to Launch on January 15 With Upgraded Booster

  SpaceX will launch Starship Flight 7 on Jan. 15 from Starbase in South Texas. This test includes enhancements to the Super Heavy booster and Mechazilla arms for a critical booster catch attempt. The flight will last 66 minutes, with a simulated Starlink satellite deployment and an engine relighting demonstration. The Starship is expected to splash ...

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  SpaceX Starship’s 7th Test Flight on January 10: Starlink Simulators, Super Heavy Boosters, and More

  SpaceX is preparing for the seventh Starship flight test, scheduled for January 10, which will focus on deploying 10 Starlink simulators. The mission aims to assess Starship's capacity for carrying and deploying advanced payloads. Enhancements to the Starship design and propulsion system will be tested, along with the Super Heavy booster’s recove...

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  SpaceX Starship Flight 7 Test Gets FAA Launch Licence, Preparing for 2025

  SpaceX has received the FAA’s launch licence for Starship Flight 7, marking another milestone in their quest for a fully reusable rocket system. After extensive engine tests, SpaceX is preparing for the test in early 2025. The flight will aim to improve key systems such as booster recovery and ocean splashdown. Designed for lunar and Martian miss...

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  SpaceX Dragon Cargo Capsule Returns to Earth After CRS-31 Mission

  SpaceX’s Dragon cargo capsule successfully undocked from the International Space Station on December 16, 2024, as part of the CRS-31 mission. Carrying thousands of pounds of research materials and supplies, the spacecraft is expected to splash down off the coast of Florida on December 17. Dragon remains the only cargo spacecraft capable of safely...

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  SpaceX Starship Successfully Completes Sixth Flight With a Banana Payload, Super Heavy Splashdown

  SpaceX’s Starship completed its sixth flight on November 19, 2024, from Texas. The test flight carried a plush banana payload, marking the first-ever payload onboard. While the planned booster catch was cancelled due to a safety parameter, the booster executed a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The upper stage tested heat shield upgra...

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  "Splashdown Confirmed": SpaceX Starship Rocket Soft Lands In Indian Ocean

  Elon Musk's SpaceX successfully completed its sixth flight test of the Starship spacecraft on Wednesday.

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  SpaceX Crew8 Astronaut Hospitalised After Splashdown, Remains 'Stable'

  A NASA astronaut who just returned from the International Space Station has been hospitalized for an unspecified medical condition.

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  SpaceX Dragon Endeavour Undocks from ISS, NASA’s Crew-8 Astronauts Head Back to Earth

  The SpaceX Dragon Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station with four Crew-8 members on board, including NASA astronauts Matt Dominick, Mike Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin. NASA will provide live audio commentary throughout the return, with full coverage resuming before splashdown on Oct...

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  Elon Musk's Starship Does A Splashdown In The Sea: What It Means

  Elon Musk's SpaceX has achieved a remarkable feat with the successful splashdown of its Starship rocket system. This was the vehicle's fourth test flight and its first controlled return and soft ocean landing.