Also: WACO Kitchen, Leonardo Opens Heli Academy, TSA Extends Mask Requirement, Warbird Night Flights

Four astronauts splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico in Sunday's wee hours, completing NASA's first commercial crew, long-duration, mission aboard the International Space Station.

The return comes nearly six months after the crew members arrived at the microgravity laboratory and also marks the longest-duration mission of a crewed American spacecraft to date. SpaceX's Crew Dragon, carrying NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Soichi Noguchi, returned to Earth in a parachute-assisted splashdown at 2:56 a.m. EDT off the coast of Panama City, Florida. The note on social media was a sad one... "It is with great regret that we announce the passing of Chris Heintz on April 30th, 2021. Best known in aviation circles as a prolific and talented aircraft designer, aeronautical engineer, innovator, builder, entrepreneur, lecturer and author, Chris has touched the lives of thousands throughout his exceedingly productive professional life. Chris died peacefully at his home in Southern France where he is survived by Annemarie, his loving wife of 60 years, his five children and a dozen grand-children. As per his wishes, funeral arrangements will be kept simple and private." The Scaled Composites Model 351 Stratolaunch is flying again... for the second time in as many years.
Called the 'Roc', it is nicknamed after Sinbad's Roc, the mythical bird so big it could carry an elephant. First flown on April 13, 2019, the company soon announced that it would halt development of the aircraft--destined to be first in a family of air-launched launch vehicles, after the loss of Stratolaunch founder Paul Allen in the fall of 2018. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne!!!

Airborne 05.03.21 is chock full of info in this Daily News Episode, Monday, May 3rd, 2021... Presented by Aero-TV veteran videographer and Airborne Host Kimberly Kay. Kimberly is supported by ANN Chief Videographer Nathan Cremisino, as well as ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell. This episode covers:

• Splashdown! SpaceX/NASA Crew-1 Returns Home 
• Gone West: 'Mr. Zenith' Chris Heintz
• Stratolaunch Flies Again
• Battle Creek Exec Airport's WACO Kitchen Offers Extended Dining Hours
• Leonardo Opens US Helicopter Training Academy
• Here We Go Again... TSA Extends Face Mask Requirement At Airports
• Scenic Night Flights In Warbirds Offered In May

Get Comprehensive, Real-Time, 24/7 coverage of the latest aviation and aerospace stories anytime, at aero-news.net. And be sure to join us again tomorrow, for the next edition of "Airborne Unlimited" here on Aero-TV. Thanks for watching. See you, again, tomorrow!

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