Sunday’s historic return to Earth by NASA astronauts Robert L. Behnken and Douglas G. Hurley in the SpaceX Dragon capsule off the coast of Pensacola was marred by a number of private boats that had come too close to the craft after it splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico.
One of the boats was flying a Trump 2020 flag.
The NYT reports: “A Coast Guard spokesman said on Sunday that an 87-foot patrol boat was deployed to the area four hours before the splashdown to try to discourage boaters from approaching the capsule. A 45-foot response boat was also sent there. The Coast Guard warned boaters to stay clear of the area in a radio broadcast two hours before the splashdown, said the spokesman, Petty Officer Third Class John Michelli.”
The US Coast Guard released a statement about the many boaters that had encroached on the capsule after splashdown, saying the area of the splashdown was out of its legal jurisdiction.
