SpaceX Dragon spacecraft - the return

As per Spacex.com Dragon has left the ISS and has had the GO for reentry. The spacecraft is scheduled to return 31st May 2012: "     Early Thursday, at approximately 1:00 AM Pacific/4:00 AM Eastern, they will use the space station's robotic arm to pull the spacecraft from the station. Two hours later, the robotic arm will release Dragon and the spacecraft will begin its journey home. Dragon is targeted to land in the Pacific Ocean, a few hundred miles west of Southern California, at approximately 8:44 AM Pacific/11:44 AM Eastern on Thursday, May 31st. The spacecraft returns to Earth like a burning comet, protected from extreme reentry temperatures by its powerful PICA-X heat shield. The landing location is controlled by firing the Draco thrusters during reentry.     " Watch live coverage on NASA TV

Canadarm 2 and ISS ready to capture Dragon

The Dragon capsule is to be captured by ISS astronauts, Donald Pettit and Andre Kuipers, using Canadarm 2 at approximately 8.06 am 25th May 2012, however, NASA today stated that berthing will not occur until 10 or 11 am EST.  

ISS and Dragon Currently over Australia

Live coverage of the Dragon capsule capture on Nasa TV
Mission control, space station and capsule views  

Live Tracking of the ISS and Dragon Capsule 
See where they are in relation to the earth and each other. 

When they are wihnin 30 meters apart in a hold position berthing will commence.


SpaceX Dragon Launched 22nd May 2012 and is the first commercial supply capsule to service the International Space Station.

UPDATE:

At 9.56 am EST 251 miles above northwest Australia history was made when the capture procedure was successful.  SpaceX, NASA, Canadarm 2 and the ISS made the six year project a reality.

Donald Pettit :  "We got us a Dragon by the tail."

Houston:  "Well done Don."

Elon Musk: "My goal is to open up space and make it something that the average person, if they save up a lot, can travel to."

SpaceX Dragon Launch

SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation) was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, the founder of PayPal.  They are the first commercial company to launch a spacecraft that will deliver supplies the ISS (International Space Station).  The launch of Dragon aboard the Falcon 9 Rocket went ahead 22nd May 2012 at  3.44am EST at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

NASA SpaceX Mission:  

The original May 19th SpaceX Dragon launch schedule had to be aborted when high pressure in combustion chamber 5 was detected.  


SpaceX have been working with NASA on the project for the last six years. On Friday 25th May 2012, if the Thursday "fly-under" the ISS is successful, the Dragon capsule will be captured by ISS astronauts, Donald Pettit and Andre Kuipers, using Canadarm 2.  


Once docked to the Harmony Node the capsules 460 kilograms cargo of food and supplies will be unloaded.  This operation will take around 2 weeks.  Before Dragon is detached from the Harmony Node it will then be loaded with 620 
kilograms of return cargo. If all goes to plan this will be how future supplies will be delivered to and from the space station since the retirement of the Space Shuttles last 
year and why this is an historic event. 

Splashdown in the Pacific Ocean is expected to occur roughly 4 - 4.5 hours after the capsule detaches from the space station. 

SpaceX Website
SpaceX Press Release : Successful launch kicks off SpaceX's historic mission
Nasa Press Release : SpaceX Launches NASA Demonstration Mission to Space Station




Update 31st May 2012: Mission will not be two weeks long, the capsule is now scheduled to return to earth May 31st.


Photo Credit:  NASA