After two months in space - American astronauts back

The landing site was certainly forced to relocate due to Hurricane Isaias, but otherwise the Endeavor's voyage returned to Earth according to plan.

"We have a SPLASHDOWN!", Jim Bridenstine wrote at NASA on Twitter after the spacecraft crashed in the Atlantic.

From traveling at several kilometers per second through the atmosphere, the Endeavor broke the water surface at a much slower 15 miles per hour (approximately 24 km / h). Several parachutes acted as brakes on the way down.

The landing takes place two months after the successful launch in May, which was the result of several years of preparation. The completed expedition is a success for the space agency NASA's idea to leave the development of rockets and spacecraft to private actors.

The agency's own program for space shuttles was terminated almost ten years ago for, among other reasons, financial reasons. Since then, several companies, including Space-X, have worked to become the first to launch astronauts into space with a proprietary spacecraft.

Today's successful landing paves the way for more expeditions and can also mean a further step towards space tourism. Several companies are already planning to be able to use the private craft for pure pleasure travel for those who can pay for themselves.

But above all, it means that the United States has once again found a way to send humans into space.