{"id":19030,"date":"2017-03-19T19:53:48","date_gmt":"2017-03-19T11:53:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spacex-dragon-capsule-splashes-down-bringing-space-samples-back-to-earth\/"},"modified":"2017-03-19T19:53:48","modified_gmt":"2017-03-19T11:53:48","slug":"spacex-dragon-capsule-splashes-down-bringing-space-samples-back-to-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spacex-dragon-capsule-splashes-down-bringing-space-samples-back-to-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX Dragon capsule splashes down, bringing space samples back to Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"SpaceX
SpaceX\u2019s Dragon capsule floats toward a Pacific Ocean splashdown. (SpaceX Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

SpaceX\u2019s robotic Dragon capsule brought tons of cargo back down to Earth from the International Space Station today, in a trip that ended with a Pacific Ocean splashdown.<\/p>\n

The trip began early today when astronauts used the station\u2019s robotic arm to pull the Dragon away from its port and position it for the automated descent.<\/p>\n

Over the past few weeks, the crew unloaded about 5,500 pounds of scientific experiments and supplies from the capsule, which arrived nearly a month ago, and loaded it back up with research samples and other cargo destined for return.<\/p>\n

The payloads added up to almost as much mass as the Dragon brought up.<\/p>\n

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet documented the Dragon\u2019s departure in a series of tweets:<\/p>\n