SpaceX Astronauts Complete Historic Splashdown Off California Coast After First Polar Exploration

California: Four private astronauts, on Friday, concluded their four-day mission - Fram2 mission - aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, by splashing down in the waters off Oceanside in California.

The event that began on April 1 marked a significant milestone for SpaceX, as it was the first time in six years that the mission zeroed in for a Pacific Ocean landing over the usual Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico sites near Florida.

The decision to switch landings came from SpaceX’s efforts to tackle the issue of Dragon spacecraft debris falling randomly across different parts of the world.

Also read: Trade War Begins: China's Additional 34% Tariffs On US: A Good News For India?

The mission, which followed a unique north-south orbit, offered the astronauts a rare overhead view of both the North and South Pole - a first for any human spaceflight!

The four astronauts created history with their journey all the way from the Arctic to the Antarctic. This polar orbit involved the spacecraft orbiting Earth by covering both the North and South Poles, travelling downward before looping back.

In October last year, a Dragon capsule carrying four space station astronauts faced a two-week delay due to Hurricane Milton and rough seas in Florida.

The final East Coast landing occurred last month when NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returned to Earth after an extended nine-month stay on the space station.

Their mission, basically planned for a shorter duration, got extended due to issues with the spacecraft Boeing’s Starliner. 

Also read: Earthquake of Magnitude 5.0 Strikes Nepal, Tremors Jolt Delhi, Noida, Gurugram