Splash of Crew-3 Crew-3
ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer and NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn and Kayla Barron
Crew-3 undocked from the International Space Station in Crew Dragon spacecraft Endurance at 06:20 BST/07:20 CEST Thursday 5 May.
The Crew Dragon capsule carrying ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer and NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn and Kayla Barron home from the International Space Station splashed down off the coast of Florida, USA, on Friday 6 May 2022 at 05:43 BST/06:43 CEST.
Its return marked the end of Matthias’s first space mission ‘Cosmic Kiss’ and 177 days in space for Crew-3.
splashing
splashing
Space capsule splashing into water
Space capsule splashing into water
During his time on Station, Matthias supported over 35 European and many more international experiments in microgravity. He also supported International Space Station operations and maintenance and performed a spacewalk with NASA astronaut Raja Chari on 23 March 2022.
ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer waves and gives the thumbs up aboard SpaceX recovery boat Shannon
Debriefing in Cologne
Matthias Maurer
Cosmic Kiss
When a Crew capsule splashes down, nearby ships are deployed to hoist the capsule out of the water, open the hatch and welcome its crew back to Earth. After initial medical checks, crew members are transported by helicopter to shore where planes are waiting to bring them to their final destinations.
For Matthias, this destination is ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, and the German Aerospace Centre’s (DLR) ‘Envihab’ facility. Here, he will participate in debriefings, provide samples for scientific evaluation and readapt to Earth’s gravity with the support of medical experts over the coming weeks.
References:
[1]ESA – Welcome home Matthias – Crew-3 splashes down
[2]ESA – Crew-3 splashdown | Cosmic Kiss
Finish perfectly!