The SpaceX Crew Dragon’s nosecone has closed in preparation for re-entry. The spacecraft is on its way toward a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean at approximately 8:45 a.m. EST.
Did you know? The last time a U.S. spacecraft designed for humans landed in the Atlantic Ocean was on March 13, 1969, when the Apollo 9 vehicle and crew splashed down.
Crew Dragon undocked from the International Space Station at 2:32 a.m. EST and is on track for a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean about 200 nautical miles off the eastern shore of Florida. SpaceX’s two recovery ships are positioned nearby to recover Crew Dragon and return it to Port Canaveral. The “Go Searcher” is the company’s primary recovery vessel responsible for recovering the spacecraft.
The Demo-1 mission is SpaceX’s first flight with NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The flight test marks a significant step toward returning to the nation the capability to launch astronauts on a U.S.-built spacecraft from U.S. soil.