FINS UP

Earth Provides Stunning Welcome Party for Returning Astronauts

Some unexpected visitors approached the vessel shortly after it splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico.

Four astronauts who had left the International Space Station splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast Tuesday and were welcomed by some unexpected guests. Footage from the scene showed the SpaceX Dragon capsule approached by a pod of dolphins before being hoisted onto the recovery ship. On board were Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov of Russia, NASA astronaut Nick Hague, and NASA’s Sunita Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore—the pair whose time in space was supposed to last eight days, but ended up being 286. Williams and Wilmore were testing Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, but their mission was extended after the vehicle encountered thruster issues. Last Friday night, SpaceX launched a crew to the ISS to relieve the two astronauts, who continued to conduct experiments and spacewalks throughout their extended stay. Williams reflected recently on the considerable delay: “This mission has brought a little attention… but I think the good part is more people are interested in what we’re doing in space.” All four astronauts who returned to Earth Tuesday appeared to be healthy but were undergoing medical checks upon touchdown.

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