DAYTON, Ohio — A Dayton businessman returned home on Thursday after completing a historic mission to the International Space Station.
Larry Conner, 72, and three others broke new barriers last Friday when they launched into space as the first all-civilian crew to reach the ISS.
The founder and managing partner of “The Connor Group” returned to Earth with a splash landing off the coast of Florida on Monday after wrapping up a mission, complete with three weeks of quarantine and two weeks on the ISS.
But it wasn’t until Thursday that Connor truly returned home, and he received a warm welcome when he did.
The businessman was greeted by roughly 100 friends, family members and associates outside of his Dayton-based real estate investment firm, The Connor Group.
Connors admitted the mission would not have been a success without the people who worked hard back home. He said, “At the end of the day, it’s not really about us when we’re up there. It’s about everyone else who made that happen.”
While in space, Connor conducted live broadcasts with children in schools and partnered with renowned medical experts on four experiments to study the heart, brain, spine and aging. He also worked alongside former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and mission specialists Eytan Stibbe and Mark Pathy.
According to a release, Connor made history as the first person to reach space and the deepest parts of the ocean within one year. He said his previous endeavors helped prepare him for some of the unknowns that come with space travel, adding the 1,000 hours of training ahead of the launch prepared him for the logistics of the trip.
During his time at the ISS, he aided in conducting more than 100 hours of research spanning roughly 25 experiments. Connor said he hopes his mission will help inspire generations to come.
“This was a humbling experience. I hope we’ve played a role – however small – in allowing future generations to have similar experiences,” said Connor.