Splashdown! SpaceX Cargo Dragon Returns Science Experiments to Earth for NASA

By NASAApril 16, 2023

The Solid Fuel Ignition and Extinction (SoFIE) Growth and Extinction Limits (GEL) experiment aboard the International Space Station studies flame growth and extinction in an effort to improve fire safety in space. This image shows a sequence of snapshots taken about 3 seconds apart. Gel samples from the investigation are returning to Earth for further analysis on the SpaceX CRS-27 cargo Dragon spacecraft. Credit: NASA

After re-entering Earth's atmosphere, SpaceXCommonly known as SpaceX, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. is a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company that was founded by Elon Musk in 2002. Headquartered in Hawthorne, California, the company designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. SpaceX's ultimate goal is to reduce space transportation costs and enable the colonization of Mars." data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]">SpaceX's uncrewed Dragon cargo spacecraft made a parachute-assisted splashdown off the coast of Tampa, Florida at 4:58 p.m. EDTEDT is an abbreviation for Eastern Daylight Time, the time zone for the eastern coast of the United States and Canada when observing daylight saving time (spring/summer). It is four hours behind Coordinated Universal Time. New York City, Washington, D.C., Boston, and the Kennedy Space Center are in the Eastern Time Zone (ET)." data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]">EDT on Saturday, April 15. This marked the return of the company's 27th contracted cargo resupply mission to the International Space StationThe International Space Station (ISS) is a large spacecraft in orbit around the Earth that serves as a research laboratory and spaceport for international collaboration in space exploration. It was launched in 1998 and has been continuously occupied by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts from around the world since 2000. The ISS is a joint project of five space agencies: NASA (USA), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). It orbits the Earth at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles), and provides a unique platform for scientific research, technological development, and human space exploration." data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]">International Space Station (ISS) for NASA. The spacecraft carried approximately 4,300 pounds of valuable scientific experiments and other cargo back to Earth.

A SpaceX cargo Dragon undocked from the International Space Station at 11:05 a.m. EDT on April 15, 2023, as the station was flying over the Indian Ocean. It will return nearly 4,300 pounds of scientific samples and hardware for NASA. Credit: NASA TV

Following commands from ground controllers at SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, Dragon undocked at 11:05 a.m. from the forward port of the station's Harmony module. At the time of undocking the station was flying over the Indian Ocean.

Dragon arrived at the space station on March 16 as SpaceX's 27th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASAEstablished in 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that succeeded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It is responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. Its vision is "To discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity." Its core values are "safety, integrity, teamwork, excellence, and inclusion." NASA conducts research, develops technology and launches missions to explore and study Earth, the solar system, and the universe beyond. It also works to advance the state of knowledge in a wide range of scientific fields, including Earth and space science, planetary science, astrophysics, and heliophysics, and it collaborates with private companies and international partners to achieve its goals." data-gt-translate-attributes="[{"attribute":"data-cmtooltip", "format":"html"}]">NASA, delivering more than 6,000 pounds of research investigations, crew supplies, and station hardware. It was launched on March 14 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center.

Some of the scientific investigations that Dragon is carrying include: