51
Four astronauts returned safely to Earth this Thursday morning (15), after an undisclosed serious medical condition affected one of them and forced the early termination of their mission on the International Space Station a few weeks ahead of schedule.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, landed by parachute in calm waters near San Diego. The end of the abbreviated mission was broadcast live via a NASA and SpaceX webcast.
In a radio transmission to SpaceX’s flight control center near Los Angeles, Endeavour’s commander, 38-year-old NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, was heard saying, “It’s good to be home.”
This was the first time that NASA had interrupted a mission due to a health emergency.
