SpaceX's historic all-civilian crew return to Earth safely - Watch

The return from orbit followed a plunge through Earth`s atmosphere generating frictional heat that sent temperatures surrounding the outside of the capsule soaring to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,927 degrees Celsius).

New Delhi: The quartet of newly minted citizen astronauts comprising the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission safely splashed down in the Atlantic off Florida`s coast on Saturday (September 18, 2021) at 7 pm EDT (4:30 am IST), completing a three-day flight of the first all-civilian crew ever launched into Earth orbit.

SpaceX`s Crew Dragon capsule, dubbed Resilience, parachuted into calm seas around 7 pm EDT (4:30 am IST), shortly before sunset, 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 checkups they were to undergo at sea.