Live coverage of the departure of SpaceX’s Dragon supply ship from the International Space Station and its splashdown in the Pacific Ocean with several tons of experiment samples and cargo. Text updates will appear automatically below; there is no need to reload the page. Follow us on Twitter.
Splashdown confirmed! The Dragon spacecraft has returned to Earth with approximately 3,600 pounds of space station cargo, ending its 10th operational cargo flight to the complex.
The three main parachutes have deployed, SpaceX says. Standing by for splashdown a few hundred miles west of Baja California.
After deploying two drogue parachutes for stability, Dragon should now be descending through 10,000 feet under three 116-foot main parachutes, which are designed to slow the craft's speed to a gentle 11 mph at the time of splashdown.
Temperatures outside the Dragon spacecraft are expected to reach up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit during re-entry. As with its previous missions, SpaceX is not providing live coverage of the re-entry and splashdown of the Dragon supply ship. We'll post updates here as we get them.
Dragon should now be encountering the upper reaches of the atmosphere - a point known as entry interface - over the Pacific Ocean. Officials expect a communications blackout in the next few minutes, followed by deployment of the capsule's parachutes beginning at 10:46 a.m. EDT (1446 GMT).
SpaceX confirms the completion of Dragon's deorbit burn, and the spacecraft has jettisoned its disposable unpressurized trunk segment. The capsule will dip into the atmosphere on a trajectory flying from northwest to southeast over the Pacific Ocean, heading for splashdown at 10:54 a.m. EDT (1454 GMT).
Flying high above the Indian Ocean, the Dragon spacecraft should have fired its Draco thrusters for the deorbit burn by now, committing the capsule for return to Earth. The burn was expected to last approximately 10 minutes. Dragon is carrying more than 3,600 pounds of cargo from the space station in its pressurized cabin. The capsule is the only robotic cargo freighter able to retrieve equipment from the space station and return it to Earth for analysis or repairs.
Thomas Pesquet, a European Space Agency flight engineer on the station, radioed his congratulations to the Dragon team shortly after the craft's departure.
"Houston, it looks like it's time to say goodbye to Dragon," Pesquet said. "There's a part of us that will come back to down to Earth with her, and I mean that literally because it carries lots of important scientific samples, and some obtained directly from the crew.
"I know scientists can't wait to get their hands on their results, and thanks to return vehicles like Dragon, the ISS is able to fulfill its mission of science and discovery. From all the crew of Expedition 50, many thanks and congratulations to all the teams involved in this CRS-10 mission."
Michael Hopkins, an astronaut servicing as spacecraft communicator in mission control in Houston, replied: "Thanks for those words, Thomas, and congratulations to the crew as well. You guys did a fantastic job, as well, always staying ahead of the timeline, and it's going to be great to get Dragon back on Earth." Coming up in a few hours, the Dragon spacecraft will close the door to its guidance, navigation and control bay shortly before 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT).
Ignition of the capsule's thrusters is set for 9:55 a.m. EDT (1355 GMT) for an appoximately 10-minute deorbit burn. Splashdown a few hundred miles west of Baja California is scheduled for 10:54 a.m. EDT (1454 GMT).
NASA Television coverage of the Dragon resupply flight has ended. SpaceX does not plan to provide live coverage of splashdown, but you can check back here for updates on the status of the mission as we receive information
Splashdown confirmed! The Dragon spacecraft has returned to Earth with approximately 3,600 pounds of space station cargo, ending its 10th operational cargo flight to the complex.
The three main parachutes have deployed, SpaceX says. Standing by for splashdown a few hundred miles west of Baja California.
After deploying two drogue parachutes for stability, Dragon should now be descending through 10,000 feet under three 116-foot main parachutes, which are designed to slow the craft's speed to a gentle 11 mph at the time of splashdown.
Temperatures outside the Dragon spacecraft are expected to reach up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit during re-entry. As with its previous missions, SpaceX is not providing live coverage of the re-entry and splashdown of the Dragon supply ship. We'll post updates here as we get them.
Dragon should now be encountering the upper reaches of the atmosphere - a point known as entry interface - over the Pacific Ocean. Officials expect a communications blackout in the next few minutes, followed by deployment of the capsule's parachutes beginning at 10:46 a.m. EDT (1446 GMT).
SpaceX confirms the completion of Dragon's deorbit burn, and the spacecraft has jettisoned its disposable unpressurized trunk segment. The capsule will dip into the atmosphere on a trajectory flying from northwest to southeast over the Pacific Ocean, heading for splashdown at 10:54 a.m. EDT (1454 GMT).
Flying high above the Indian Ocean, the Dragon spacecraft should have fired its Draco thrusters for the deorbit burn by now, committing the capsule for return to Earth. The burn was expected to last approximately 10 minutes. Dragon is carrying more than 3,600 pounds of cargo from the space station in its pressurized cabin. The capsule is the only robotic cargo freighter able to retrieve equipment from the space station and return it to Earth for analysis or repairs.
Thomas Pesquet, a European Space Agency flight engineer on the station, radioed his congratulations to the Dragon team shortly after the craft's departure.
"Houston, it looks like it's time to say goodbye to Dragon," Pesquet said. "There's a part of us that will come back to down to Earth with her, and I mean that literally because it carries lots of important scientific samples, and some obtained directly from the crew.
"I know scientists can't wait to get their hands on their results, and thanks to return vehicles like Dragon, the ISS is able to fulfill its mission of science and discovery. From all the crew of Expedition 50, many thanks and congratulations to all the teams involved in this CRS-10 mission."
Michael Hopkins, an astronaut servicing as spacecraft communicator in mission control in Houston, replied: "Thanks for those words, Thomas, and congratulations to the crew as well. You guys did a fantastic job, as well, always staying ahead of the timeline, and it's going to be great to get Dragon back on Earth." Coming up in a few hours, the Dragon spacecraft will close the door to its guidance, navigation and control bay shortly before 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT).
Ignition of the capsule's thrusters is set for 9:55 a.m. EDT (1355 GMT) for an appoximately 10-minute deorbit burn. Splashdown a few hundred miles west of Baja California is scheduled for 10:54 a.m. EDT (1454 GMT).
NASA Television coverage of the Dragon resupply flight has ended. SpaceX does not plan to provide live coverage of splashdown, but you can check back here for updates on the status of the mission as we receive information
