SPLASH LANDING
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule that will one day carry astronauts into space successfully lands for the first time after fiery descent
The spacecraft was blasted by 1,600°C heat on its journey home
THE future of private spaceflight looks bright after SpaceX completed a high-stakes landing of its Crew Dragon capsule this afternoon.
The vehicle is designed to one day carry astronauts to space, and was put through its paces via a fiery unmanned test flight back to Earth from the International Space Station (ISS).
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It marks the first time the capsule has made it to space and back in a high stakes mission that could spark a new era of space travel.
SpaceX wants to use the capsule to carry astronauts to the ISS and back – a feat that would mark the first time Nasa crew has flown on a private rocket.
The Dragon vehicle separated from the ISS at around 7:30am GMT this morning, beginning a precarious mission back to its home planet.
Loaded with a dummy called Ripley and an array of sensors, the spacecraft plummeted through the atmosphere before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean at around 1.45pm GMT.
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How the Crew Dragon's pioneering mission panned outA boat called GO Searcher was waiting to collect the vehicle at its landing site – a remote spot of ocean 280 miles off the coast of Florida.
The mission could spark a new era for spaceflight in which private companies take astronauts to space for fees in the millions of pounds.
Previously, only government space agencies like US pioneers Nasa and their Russian rivals Roscosmos have fired humans beyond the skies.
Nasa astronauts could ride aboard SpaceX rockets as early as July.
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Prior to its successful landing, SpaceX boss Elon Musk admitted he was nervous about how the capsule would cope with re-entry.
That's because SpaceX engineers weren't certain how the shape of the heat shield, also known as the backshell, would affect the craft's stability at hypersonic speeds.
"We've run simulations a thousand times but this is a possibility," the billionaire and Tesla CEO told reporters at the weekend.
"So, re-entry with the asymmetric backshell; the parachutes are new - will the parachutes deploy correctly and then will the system guide Dragon to the right location and splashdown safely? I'd say hypersonic re-entry is my biggest concern."
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SpaceX Crew Dragon docks with International Space Station as Elon Musk marks another launch breakthrough
Nasa has not launched its own astronauts to space since its Shuttle programme shut down in 2011.
Instead, its manned space adventures have relied on Russia and its Soyuz spacecraft.
Nasa hopes to launch astronauts from US soil once more via private spacecraft built by SpaceX and Boeing.
It gave the companies more than £6billion to build and operate crew capsules.
Missions will carry passengers to the International Space Station, a giant laboratory that orbits 250 miles above Earth's surface.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked at the station for the first time on Sunday. It remained attached for five days.
Musk, 47, admitted to being "emotionally exhausted" after the rocket carrying Crew Dragon blasted off.
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Speaking after the launch, Musk said it was "super stressful" to watch, but he's hopeful the capsule will be ready to carry astronauts later this year.
He said: "To be frank, I'm a little emotionally exhausted.
"We have to dock to the station. We have to come back, but so far it's worked ... we've passed the riskiest items."
Nasa Administrator Jim Bridenstine called it "a big night for the United States of America".
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Musk recently shared the first photo of SpaceX’s BFR Starship that could carry humans to Mars in 2024.
Its design was mocked on social media for looking like something from a 1960s cartoon.
Musk has endured a scandal-hit year, and was filmed smoking marijuana live on YouTube in September.
Do you think the Crew Dragon vehicle will land safely? Let us know in the comments!
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