The SpaceX crew returns to Earth after disengaging from the International Space Station and is expected to complete their journey later this Sunday afternoon.
The company, founded in California by billionaire Elon Musk, would thus end a landmark mission as the first trip to orbit in a privately owned vehicle and as the first manned space flight in nine years from the United States.
NASA astronauts Douglas Harley and Robert Behnken, in front of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, undocked from the Space Station at 19:35 on Saturday. And now, SpaceX crew returns to Earth after completing historic mission.
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It is the first 100% American manned mission since 2011
As reported by the company in a statement, it is expected that its return to Earth will occur in a period of 19 hours and that the Crew Dragon ship will reach the Florida coast around 14:41 .
Two NASA astronauts departed for the International Space Station on May 30 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. It is the first manned flight from and from its ground since the space shuttle flights ended in 2011.
It is the first 100% American manned mission since the end of the space shuttle program in 2011, after 30 years of service.
Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies in 2002 with the ultimate goal of allowing people to live on other planets. NASA has been a key partner and customer every step of the way for the Hawthorne, California-based company. A charging version of SpaceX’s Dragon capsule already makes regular trips to the space station.
