SpaceX Dragon cargo craft departs space station, returns to Earth today

New Delhi: A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft has unberthed from the International Space Station (ISS) ahead of a Monday afternoon reentry and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean for recovery.  

As per NASA, the SpaceX Dragon CRS-11 Cargo Craft was released from the space station at 2:41 am EDT, after 30 days in space and 28 days berthed to the ISS.

Over the course of its month-long stay, Dragon delivered several thousand pounds of scientific experiments and equipment to the space station. 

Originally scheduled to depart the ISS and splashdown in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Baja California on Sunday, 2 July, Dragon’s homecoming was delayed one day due to unfavorable weather conditions in the Eastern Pacific.

The splashdown zone for Monday has an acceptable weather forecast and is closer to port in Long Beach, California. Splashdown is expected around 260 miles southwest of the California coast.

Recovery forces will retrieve the capsule and its more than 4,100 pounds of returning cargo, including science samples from human and animal research, biotechnology studies, physical science investigations and education activities.

Dragon, the only space station resupply spacecraft able to return to Earth intact, will be retrieved by a SpaceX team from the ocean and shipped it to port in southern California.