After nine months on the International Space Station, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were welcomed back to Earth by a pod of dolphins upon their splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Originally planned as a week-long mission, mechanical issues extended their stay in space significantly. As their capsule bobbed in the ocean, dolphins danced around, to the delight of the SpaceX team and those watching the livestream. The interaction highlighted the unexpected moments that can accompany the return of astronauts from space missions.
When they climbed aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship on Tuesday, cruised through Earth orbit all day, and then plummeted back to Earth, they didn't know an oceanic welcoming committee would meet them.
That was really fun to see, said Sarah Walker, the director of SpaceX Dragon mission management, in a press call after the splashdown.
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