SpaceX landing: Elon Musk’s all-tourists are on their way back – guide

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After their journey into space, the first space crew consisting only of laypersons landed back on earth on Sunday night. Shortly before sunset (1.06 am German time), the “Dragon” capsule parachuted into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida, not far from the point where the journey began three days ago.

It was the first Atlantic landing by a returning space crew in more than 50 years. SpaceX’s previous two water landings with NASA astronauts took place in the Gulf of Mexico.

The “Dragon” capsule floated towards earth on three parachutes …Photo: / AP


The

… and then landed in the AtlanticPhoto: / AP

After its launch on Wednesday evening from the Cape Canaveral spaceport, the space capsule of the private US space company SpaceX, owned by star entrepreneur Elon Musk, has orbited the earth for the past three days.

The spacecraft needed around 90 minutes to circumnavigate the earth. At 580 kilometers above the earth, it was even higher than the International Space Station (ISS).

On board were 38-year-old US billionaire Jared Isaacman, who chartered the All excursion, as well as 29-year-old medical assistant Hayley Arceneaux, 51-year-old artist and professor Sian Proctor and 41-year-old aerospace engineer Chris Sembrosk.

During the all-excursion, which is also being documented on the “Netflix” streaming service, the four amateur astronauts passed the time in the cramped capsule with, among other things, conversations with actor mega-star Tom Cruise, who did his own SpaceX flight to the space station for filming was interested, as was singer Bono from the rock band U2.

The bell that gives the signal to stop trading on the New York Stock Exchange was also allowed to ring virtually on Friday evening.


This is how the Dragon capsule works - infographic

And what about astronaut food: In addition to coffee and tea, the Musk Touris also had sandwiches, pasta with Bolognese sauce, cold pizza and Mediterranean lamb to eat.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk (50) had designed the mission as his entry into the future huge market of commercial all-flight. At the beginning of July, the Briton Richard Branson (71) reached the limit of space in a spaceship belonging to his company “Virgin Galactic”. Days later, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (57) followed in a capsule from his company “Blue Origin”. But unlike the billionaires before him, Musk has so far personally refrained from an all-flight.

SpaceX expects up to six private flights per year between NASA’s astronaut launches. Four SpaceX flights have already been booked and will bring paying customers to the space station, accompanied by former NASA astronauts.

The first is slated for early next year, for three business people paying $ 55 million each.

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