SpaceX Dragon Departs Space Station after Delivering Slew of Science

A space-weathered @SpaceX #Dragon looking great moments before release today Oct. 25, 2014 . Credit: NASA/Reid Wiseman

Concluding a busy five week mission, the SpaceX Dragon CRS-4 commercial cargo ship departed the International Space Station (ISS) this morning, Oct. 25, after delivering a slew of some 2.5 tons of ground breaking science experiments and supplies that also inaugurated a new era in Earth science at the massive orbiting outpost following installation of the ISS-RapidScat payload.

Dragon was released from the snares of the stations robotic arm at 9: 57 a.m. EDT while soaring some 250 mi (400 km) over the northwest coast of Australia.

The Dragon is free! exclaimed NASA commentator Rob Navias during a live broadcast on NASA TV. The release was very clean.

Dragon released from snares of ISS robotic arm on Oct. 25, 2014, for return to Earth. Credit: NASA

The private resupply ship was loaded for return to Earth with more than 3,276 pounds of NASA cargo and science samples from the station crews investigations on human research, biology and biotechnology studies, physical science investigations, and education activities sponsored by NASA and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, the nonprofit organization responsible for managing research aboard the U.S. national laboratory portion of the space station, said NASA.

The release set up a quick series of three burns by the ships Draco thrusters designed to carry Dragon safely away from the station.

NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman and Butch Wilmore quickly retracted the arm working from their robotics workstation in the domed Cupola module.

Thanks for the help down there, the astronauts radioed. It was a great day.

Dragon moves away from ISS on Oct. 25, 2014, for return to Earth. Credit: NASA TV

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SpaceX Dragon Departs Space Station after Delivering Slew of Science