On Wednesday, October 23, the crew of the Endeavour received the green light to undock from the forward-facing port of the Harmony module at 8:05 AM AEDT (2105 UTC), marking the beginning of their journey back to Earth. Two days later, the crew safely re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and, with the assistance of parachutes, made a successful landing in the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX’s recovery operations swiftly deployed boats and ships, including the Dragon recovery vessel named “Megan,” in honour of Crew-2 astronaut Megan McArthur. These vessels reached the Endeavour promptly, allowing for the safe retrieval of both the capsule and its crew members. Following preliminary medical assessments, the astronauts were transported by helicopter back to shore.
Crew members Dominick, Barratt, Epps, and Grebenkin launched to the International Space Station on March 3 and participated in the station’s 70th, 71st, and 72nd expedition crews. Throughout their mission, they contributed to numerous scientific experiments and attempted two extravehicular activities (EVAs), commonly known as spacewalks.
Unfortunately, both Dominick and Barratt faced challenges during their attempts to venture outside the International Space Station. Dominick’s EVA was cancelled due to a “spacesuit comfort” issue before it could commence, while Barratt’s attempt was cut short by a water leak from an umbilical connection, preventing him and NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson from even leaving the Quest airlock after just 31 minutes.
Initially scheduled for an October 8 return after an extended seven-month science mission aboard the ISS, the crew experienced multiple delays in their departure. NASA and SpaceX flight controllers monitored weather systems in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico closely, assessing their potential impact on sea conditions near the Dragon’s planned splashdown zones.
