ISS cargo vessel on way to Earth

Posted on Oct 28, 2012 in Science | 0 comments

An unmanned cargo ship was on track to return to Earth Sunday after shoving off from the International Space Station, NASA said.

Controllers in Houston used the station’s robotic arm to “uninstall” the SpaceX Dragon from its dock on the space station and position it for the trip home, the space agency said in a statement.

The space agency said the vessel was released without incident.

The next step was to be a series of after engine burns followed by splashdown in the Pacific off the Southern California coast Sunday afternoon.

The Dragon arrived at the station 18 days ago and is bringing back 1,673 pounds of scientific research material and other items, some of which had been waiting for more than a year to be hauled away from the orbiting station.

Copyright 2012 by United Press International