SpaceX's ‘Dragon' spacecraft splashes down off the Oceanside coast
The rocket's four main parachutes deployed without issue, allowing those onboard, referred to as the Fram2 crew, to return to the planet safely after orbiting the Earth's polar regions for nearly four days. According to SpaceX, this mission was the first-of-its-kind.
The landing, which occurred at approximately 9:19 a.m. PT, was carefully coordinated with recovery teams stationed aboard SpaceX's recovery vessel, Shannon, ready to assist in bringing the capsule back to shore. The hatch to the space capsule was opened and the crew exited the Dragon unassisted in support of a research study pertaining to human health in space, specifically regarding their ability to perform functional tasks post-space travel.
This marks the first human spaceflight for designated Mission Commander Chun Wang, Vehicle Commander Jannicke Mikkelsen, Vehicle Pilot Rabea Rogge, and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Eric Philips. During their multi-day mission, the crew conducted more than 20 research studies that SpaceX explained were designed 'to help advance humanity's capabilities for long-duration space exploration.' Put simply, the mission was meant to better understand how being in space for certain periods of time can impact human health.
'To-date, the crew has taken the first x-ray in space, performed exercise studies to maintain muscle and skeletal mass, and grown mushrooms in microgravity,' SpaceX noted online while highlighting the Fram2 crew's return.
A livestream of the event can be found here.
The spacecraft's return marks another milestone for the aerospace company's ambitious plans in space exploration. Additionally, this marks the first Dragon human spaceflight to splash down in the Pacific Ocean, according to SpaceX.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's Starlink 30199 satellite put on incredible night sky display
Tourists witnessed a spectacular night sky display as a fireball blazed over Alicante, Spain – believed to be Elon Musk's Starlink 30199 satellite. Brit Joshua Boreham, 18, from Salford, Manchester, spotted the bright lights on August 12 while on a week-long holiday, initially thinking it was the Perseid meteor shower or the Chinese Jielong-3 rocket. The satellite, part of SpaceX's Starlink constellation launched on July 10, 2023, reportedly reentered Earth's atmosphere over southern Spain on August 10, 2025. Joshua, a Royal Air Force trainee, described the sighting as 'such an amazing experience' and one he will never forget. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cape Canaveral to see busy week of launches by SpaceX, ULA on Starlink, Space Force missions
(This story has been updated to include a new SpaceX target launch date.) SpaceX's photogenic Falcon 9 rocket launch kicked off the new workweek during morning rush hour Monday, Aug. 11 — ushering in a busy liftoff schedule during the first week of class at Brevard Public Schools. Monday's launch lifted two dozen Amazon Project Kuiper broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Next, a trio of rocket liftoffs are coming up from the Space Force installation: Tuesday: United Launch Alliance will launch a Vulcan rocket outfitted with four solid rocket boosters during an hourlong launch window extending from 7:59 p.m. to 8:59 p.m. The Vulcan will rise due east, propelling two U.S. national security satellites into geosynchronous orbit more than 22,000 miles above Earth for the Space Force during this USSF-106 mission from Launch Complex 41. The Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron predicted 80% odds of "go for launch" weather, citing a slight probability of cumulus cloud violations and a low-to-moderate risk of solar activity. Cape Canaveral: Is there a launch today? Upcoming NASA, SpaceX, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral Thursday: SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 on a Starlink mission from Launch Complex 40. The four-hour morning window lasts from 6:47 a.m. to 10:47 a.m. The rocket will deploy a payload of Starlink internet-beaming satellites into low-Earth orbit. Saturday: SpaceX is targeting a similar Starlink mission from 7:35 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. However, be aware: Launch dates and times routinely change for a wide variety of reasons. FLORIDA TODAY Space Team launch coverage updates will kick off starting about 90 minutes before each launch window opens at No Brevard County sonic booms should occur during these missions. Both Starlink missions will ascend to the northeast. For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter. Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@ Twitter/X: @RickNeale1 Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: After Amazon, Cape Canaveral to see 3 more launches this week by SpaceX, ULA Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 Returns Safely After Completing Dozens of ISS National Lab-Sponsored Investigations
Astronauts wrap up mission after supporting research that could lead to new cancer treatments, more lifelike robotics, space debris removal, and more KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Aug. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- After nearly six months onboard the International Space Station (ISS), the four astronauts of NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission have safely returned to Earth. This weekend's splashdown off the coast of California concludes a long-duration science expedition that supported dozens of investigations sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory®. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov played a vital role in advancing science in space, contributing to biomedical research, physical and materials sciences, technology demonstrations, and student-led experiments. Their work helped push the boundaries of discovery in low Earth orbit to benefit life on Earth and support a sustainable and robust space economy. ISS National Lab-sponsored projects the crew worked on during their mission include the following: A project from the University of Connecticut and Eascra Biotech, in partnership with Axiom Space, is using microgravity to improve the production of Janus base nanomaterials, which could be used to treat diseases like osteoarthritis and cancer. This project builds on previous ISS investigations and is funded through NASA's In-Space Production Applications program. Multiple projects were funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, which has a long-standing partnership with the ISS National Lab to advance fundamental research on the orbiting laboratory. ELVIS may enhance the search for life beyond Earth. Portland State University, in collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc., tested a new holographic microscope—the Extant Life Volumetric Imaging System (ELVIS)—that could allow scientists to study the adaptability of life under extreme conditions. Kall Morris Inc, in partnership with Voyager Technologies, leveraged the Astrobee free-flying robots on the space station to validate its REACCH system, which uses tentacle-looking arms with gecko-like adhesive pads to capture floating space debris. REACCH could help protect critical in-orbit infrastructure for Internet communications, weather prediction, GPS, and more. The ISS National Lab is proud to have partnered with NASA and international collaborators to enable this impactful space-based research for the benefit of humanity. The return of NASA's SpaceX Crew-10 mission marks the successful completion of another science expedition in the ongoing effort to leverage space as an innovation platform. To learn more about the science supported by the astronauts during this mission, visit our launch page. Download a high-resolution image for this release: Crew-10 Return About the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory:The International Space Station (ISS) is a one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise, the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S. government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector. The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS®) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our website. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CASIS accepts corporate and individual donations to help advance science in space for the benefit of humanity. For more information, visit our donations page. Media Contact: Patrick O'Neill 904-806-0035PONeill@ International Space Station (ISS) National LaboratoryManaged by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space® (CASIS®)1005 Viera Blvd., Suite 101, Rockledge, FL 32955 • 321.253.5101 • View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE International Space Station National Lab
