SpaceX Cargo Dragon Undocked From International Space Station, To Return With 4,900 Pounds of Equipment and Science Samples, Experiments

After more than a month of being attached to the orbiting laboratory, SpaceX's CRS-24 Cargo Dragon had finally undocked from the International Space Station (ISS).

The capsule was undocked from the Harmony module's space-facing port at 10:40 a.m. EST on Jan. 23, according to Spaceflight Insider. Due to bad weather in the capsule's splashdown zone off the coast of Florida, its departure was postponed for several days.

The vehicle will coast around Earth for about a day and a half after undocking before performing a deorbit burn and splashing off the coast of Panama City, Florida, around 4:05 p.m. EST on Jan. 24. NASA said the Dragon's splashdown is "parachute-assisted."

NASA added that splashing down off the coast of Florida enables researchers to collect data with little sample exposure to Earth's gravity at NASA's Space Station Processing Facility at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

As the SpaceX capsule undocked from the orbiting ship, NASA astronaut Tom Marshburn radioed Mission Control to inform them that Dragon had already departed from the station.

SpaceX Prepares For First Manned Spaceflight With NASA Astronauts — HAWTHORNE, CA - AUGUST 13: A Crew Dragon spacecraft flight simulator is seen during a media tour of SpaceX headquarters and rocket factory on August 13, 2018 in Hawthorne, California. SpaceX plans to use the spaceship Crew Dragon, a passenger version of the robotic Dragon cargo ship, to carry NASA astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time since the Space Shuttle program was retired in 2011. David McNew/Getty Images

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SpaceX Dragon to Bring 4,900 Pounds of Cargo, Research to Earth

On Dec. 21, SpaceX launched the Dragon CRS-24 cargo ship with about 2,900 kg (6,500 pounds) of supplies, scientific equipment, and other hardware. On Dec. 23, it arrived at the station to complete its delivery, which included some Christmas treats for the station crew.

The Dragon spacecraft has previously visited the station, Space.com said. In June 2021, SpaceX used it to deliver cargo for NASA on the CRS-22 delivery mission.

NASA's mission control stated per CNN that the cargo ship is bringing back medical supplies and over 4,900 pounds of valuable "cargo and research."

It includes a retired light imaging microscope researchers used in various scientific studies for the past 12 years and samples from colloidal studies.

The results of a study called "Cytoskeleton" about how weightlessness affects the cells of mammals are packed aboard the capsule. It could aid astronauts on long-duration space missions in the future. The findings of another study, dubbed InSpace-4, could help scientists develop new nanoparticle-based materials for spaceflight.

While NASA will not broadcast the Dragon CRS-24 cargo ship's descent and splashdown, you will be able to track its progress online. NASA's space station blog will provide updates on the spacecraft's arrival. The splashdown results are also expected to be announced on SpaceX's Twitter page Monday afternoon.