posted 08-02-2020 06:39 PM               

Congratulations SpaceX and NASA on completing first crewed Dragon flight!! Flag returned. — Elon Musk

Congratulations on a successful Commercial Crew mission, NASA and SpaceX! — Boeing

Well done and welcome home Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken! Congrats Commercial Crew and SpaceX on the successful mission to return US astronauts to and from LEO and space station. — Chris Ferguson

Astronauts complete first splashdown in 45 years. Very exciting! Great to have NASA Astronauts return to Earth after very successful two month mission. Thank you to all! — President Donald Trump

Congratulations to NASA, SpaceX, astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, and all the hardworking women and men who made possible a successful conclusion to this historic mission. The first American splashdown in 45 years was executed with precision and professionalism, just like the entirety of this awe-inspiring trip to the International Space Station. This is a victory for American innovation and persistence, and I am proud of the role President Obama and I had in fighting to ensure that commercial crew flights from American soil would become a reality. — Former Vice President Joe Biden

Welcome home, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley! We launched the Commercial Crew program to strengthen our U.S. space program and it's been great to see its success. This historic NASA-SpaceX mission is a symbol of what American ingenuity and inventiveness can achieve. — Former President Barack Obama

Congratulations to NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken for their safe return today and thank you to NASA and SpaceX for their use of NAS Pensacola. It was an honor to be play a small role in such a monumental event. — Naval Air Station Pensacola

posted 08-02-2020 06:43 PM               

Now that our #LaunchAmerica crew has returned to Earth, join us in welcoming them as they fly into Ellington Field, home of our astronaut corps.

posted 08-02-2020 08:46 PM               

Regarding the pleasurecraft that were present at the splashdown this afternoon:

The Coast Guard worked closely with NASA and SpaceX to plan the recovery of the Dragon crew in a way that prioritized the safety of the boating public and those involved in the recovery operations.

Mariners were alerted to pending hazardous operations within a specified boundary by a Broadcast Notice to Mariners, issued 29 July.

The establishment of an official safety zone that authorizes the Coast Guard to hold legal authority over boaters in violation of entering an area was not available due to the targeted splashdown location being outside of the navigable waterways of the United States, which in most cases is limited to 12-nautical miles from shore.

A Coast Guard 87-foot patrol boat established a physical presence four hours before the scheduled splashdown to discourage boaters from entering within 10 nautical mies of the NASA-designated splashdown zone, for their safety from potential dangers associated with the operation. A Coast Guard 45-foot response boat was also deployed to the vicinity leading up to the scheduled splashdown.

Additionally, a radio broadcast was issued to mariners two hours before the scheduled splashdown to remind boaters of the operation and to stay clear.

With limited assets available and with no formal authority to establish zones that would stop boaters from entering the area, numerous boaters ignored the Coast Guard crews' requests and decided to encroach the area, putting themselves and those involved in the operation in potential danger.

While the Coast Guard has the legal authority to board vessels and enforce laws past the 12-mile navigable waterways rule, it would have required a massive undertaking of resources to engage each boat that came into the area and suspend their voyage or otherwise escort them out.

The boating public is often a valuable resource to the Coast Guard, and the spirit of cooperation we share is a relationship built upon 230 years of trust and understanding. The actions of those boaters today were not representative of the average boating community, and they put themselves and others at risk through their actions. This lack of regard for safety is something that the Coast Guard takes very seriously.

A comprehensive review of this operation will be conducted between the Coast Guard, NASA and SpaceX, and the development of lessons learned will be our next priority moving forward.

posted 08-03-2020 07:42 AM               

(Always good to see the last part of a long journey is a Gulfstream flight!)

"The Boys Are Back In Town."

Guess who just got back today
Them wild-eyed boys that had been away
Haven't changed that much to say
But man, I still think them cats are crazy

posted 08-03-2020 08:07 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by oly:
...demonstrate the reusability part of the SpaceX design.

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posted 08-03-2020 10:37 AM               

Regarding the boating traffic jam and any future near-coastline landings: is the splashdown target predictable and tight enough to organize a safe watch event for boaters?

Sort of the flip side of getting a launch pass to view liftoff.

posted 08-04-2020 01:30 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by OLDIE:
Well done SpaceX, NASA, and not forgetting the Coast Guard (who seem to have had a difficult task thrust upon them, with somewhat limited resources).

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posted 12-25-2023 08:10 PM               

From SpaceX (via X):

During transport back to Port early this morning (Dec. 25), the booster tipped over on the droneship due to high winds and waves. Newer Falcon boosters have upgraded landing legs with the capability to self-level and mitigate this type of issue.

The Falcon fleet's life leading rocket completed its 19th and final launch and landing on December 23. This one reusable rocket booster alone launched to orbit two astronauts and more than 860 satellites — totaling 260+ metric tons — in about 3.5 years