A SpaceX capsule has returned to Earth after completing its commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
On Sunday, the unmanned Dragon Cargo ship landed in Pacific Ocean at Baja California Peninsula. The spacecraft left had ISS earlier in the day with the help of a robotic arm. NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet from France were the ones to send the spacecraft back to Earth.
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According to a SpaceX tweet, the spacecraft returned to Earth at 10.48 am EDT (1448 GMT).
Good splashdown of Dragon confirmed, carrying @NASA science and research cargo back from the @Space_Station.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 19, 2017
"Today we said good bye to #Dragon! She is taking part of us back to ground with her – important scientific samples, some from the crew!" Pesquet wrote in a tweet.
Supplies weighing 5,500 lbs (2,500 kilograms) were delivered by the craft, which was launched on February 19.
SpaceX Dragon was the 10th cargo delivery mission for NASA. The Dragon capsule is a reusable craft. It returned to Earth with biology and biotechnology studies, samples of human and animal research along with physical science investigations and education activities.
"Everything from stem cells that could help us understand how human cancers start and spread after being exposed to near zero-gravity, to equipment that is paving the way toward servicing and refuelling satellites while they're in orbit will be on board," NASA said in a statement.
The results of other studies and experiments include the impact of weightlessness on the regrowth of wounded tissues and regeneration of bone. It also brought back a prototype laser communication device for quicker data transmission, a model for radiation proof in computer for elongated space missions and also a robotic refuelling technology experiment for in-space fuelling and satellite servicing, a NASA statement revealed.
Apart from SpaceX, NASA has also selected Boeing for transporting its astronauts to and from space. SpaceX and Boeing are now working towards building spacecrafts for manned-missions, according to a space.com report.
