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The four astronauts, two Americans, a Russian and a Japanese, spent 157 days in space. They started their return journey on Saturday, which had to be postponed several times due to bad weather conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. “It was quite a ride,” American astronaut Nicole Mann told flight control after the so-called splashdown. “We’re glad to be back home.”
A rescue ship with personnel from NASA and SpaceX was ready near where the Crew Dragon plunged into the sea, not far from the Florida coast. The capsule, crew and all, was hoisted aboard the ship and opened there. The astronauts are medically examined on board and then fly to the mainland by helicopter.