The final stage of SpaceX’s CRS-10 resupply mission for the International Space Station wrapped up Sunday, with recovery of the Dragon capsule it launched on February 19. The capsule was carrying 4,500 pounds of supplies and scientific experiment equipment when it made its way to the ISS, which was transferred over by ISS astronauts over the course of the past few weeks.
Dragon made its way back to earth on Sunday, departing the space station first by being unlocked from its mounting point with the orbital facility, then by firing burns of its positional jets to move away from the ISS and begin its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. A five-hour trip back into Earth’s sky included a deorbiting burn, along with the explosion of extra weight in the form of junk it was carrying, and then the capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at around 7:48 PT.
SpaceX then recovered the capsule from sea, and loaded it on a cargo ship to be returned to port. From there, it’s headed to NASA, which is going to open it up and make use of the experimental results and other cargo held within.
SpaceX currently has a launch penciled in for March 27 as its next mission, which will carry a satellite from Luxembourg’s SES for TV broadcast and telecommunication services.