SpaceX cargo craft returns to Earth
The Dragon spacecraft was released from the ISS's robotic arm at 2:10 pm (1910 GMT).
MIAMI (AFP) - SpaceX s unmanned Dragon cargo ship returned to Earth on Tuesday, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean after a month-long stay at the International Space Station.
The Dragon spacecraft was released from the ISS s robotic arm at 2:10 pm (1910 GMT) and came down in the waters southwest of Long Beach, California about five and a half hours later.
"Dragon splashdown confirmed!" the California-based company headed by Internet tycoon Elon Musk said on Twitter.
The trip marked SpaceX s fifth official mission under a contract with NASA to supply food and gear to the global astronauts living in orbit.
It arrived January 12 carrying 2.6 tons of food and supplies, and returned with about 3,600 pounds (1,600 kilograms) of cargo that is no longer needed by the crew in space, as well as computer equipment and science experiments that need further analysis on Earth.
