SpaceX Crew Dragon departs from space station, Astronauts begin 19-hr journey to Earth

X Crew Dragon has undocked from International Station (ISS) for return to Earth, AFP news ncy quoted NASA as saying on Sunday. ncy said that X Dragon Endeavour has exited “approach ellipsoid” around International Station (ISS) and is on a safe trajectory. 

First splashdown for astronauts in 45 years

two NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley departed International Station on Saturday evening, beginning a roughly day-long voy back on Earth. y also took part in a farewell ceremony at  Station, several hours ahe of ir planned departure. 

Despite approaching Hurricane Isaias, NASA said wear looks favourable for a Sunday afteron splashdown in Gulf of Mexico near Panama City, Florida. It will be first splashdown for astronauts in 45 years. last time was following joint US-Soviet mission in 1975 kwn as Apollo-Soyuz.

'Most important is bringing us home'

astronauts' homecoming will cap a two-month mission that ended a prolonged launch drought in US, which has relied on Russian rockets to ferry astronauts to station since end of shuttle era. In launching Hurley and Behnken from NASA's Kennedy Center on May 30, X became first private company to send people into orbit. w X is on verge of becoming first company to bring people back from orbit.

RE | X Satellites ruined breathtaking views of Comet NEOWISE, claim skywatchers

" hardest part was getting us launched, but most important is bringing us home," Associated Press quoted Behnken as saying.

RE | X fires up Starship SN5 rocket proto, Elon Musk says it will 'hop soon'

A successful splashdown, Behnken said, will bring US-crew launching capability full circle. station commander Chris Cassidy, who will remain on board with two Russians until October, presented Hurley with small US flag left behind by previous astronauts to launch to station from US soil, in July 2011. Hurley was pilot of that final shuttle mission.

RE | NASA, X target Gulf of Mexico for Crew Dragon Splashdown; monitoring Hurricane Isaias

Elon Musk's X easily beat Boeing, which isn't expected to launch its first crew until next year and will land in US Southwest. "We're a little s to see m go," Cassidy said, but very excited for what it means to our international program to d this capability of commercial crew capsules. next X crew flight is targeted for end of September.

RE | NASA to brocast return of X's historic crewed mission

(With ncy inputs)