SpaceX’s 31st robotic cargo mission has successfully returned to Earth with a splashdown off the Florida coast. The Dragon cargo capsule splashed down on December 17 at 1:39 p.m. EDT, a day after undocking from the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft carried thousands of pounds of equipment and experiment specimens from ongoing microgravity research aboard the space station.
The CRS-31 Dragon launched to the ISS on November 4, delivering about 6,000 pounds of science and supplies for the Expedition 71 astronauts. Among those astronauts are NASA’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who were originally scheduled to return to Earth in February on SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission.
The CRS-31 Dragon carried a range of goods, including fresh food, research equipment, maintenance supplies, and personal items to help sustain the orbiting astronauts. The spacecraft is currently the only ISS cargo spacecraft capable of returning equipment and experiments safely to Earth.
NASA will retrieve the CRS-31 Dragon spacecraft quickly after splashdown, allowing scientists to conduct further research in the post-microgravity environment. The other two operational freighters on the ISS, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft and Russia’s Progress capsule, are not designed for safe reentry, burning up during reentry along with waste from the space station.
The successful splashdown marks another milestone in SpaceX’s commercial cargo program, providing critical supplies to the ISS crew.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/international-space-station/spacexs-31st-dragon-cargo-capsule-departs-iss-to-head-home-to-earth