SpaceX Returns 4 Astronauts to Earth; Rare Night Splashdown

SpaceX Returns 4 Astronauts to Earth; Rare Night Splashdown
In this image made from NASA TV video, the SpaceX Dragon capsule floats after landing in the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle early Sunday, on May 2, 2021. NASA TV via AP
The Associated Press
Updated:

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—SpaceX safely returned four astronauts from the International Space Station on Sunday, making the first U.S. crew splashdown in darkness since the Apollo 8 moonshot.

The Dragon capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Panama City, Florida, just before 3 a.m., ending the second astronaut flight for Elon Musk’s company.