News Brief: The International Space Station’s crew sent a Dragon back to Earth today, filled with more than 3,800 pounds of scientific samples and equipment. SpaceX’s robotic Dragon cargo capsule had been hooked up to the station for just over a month, providing plenty of time for the crew to unload shipments from Earth and then load it back up for the return trip. Among the payloads were an experiment aimed at finding out whether algae grown in zero-G could produce high-value compounds, and cell samples for a study focusing on cancer treatment. After splashdown in the Pacific, the Dragon was to be hauled onto a recovery ship for its return to shore. The Dragon’s return came just hours after NASA announced the first crews for a Dragon 2 spaceship that SpaceX is testing.
Robotics controllers released the @SpaceX #Dragon cargo spacecraft at 12:38 p.m. EDT today as @AstroSerena monitored its departure. https://t.co/zwvDbR4DXf pic.twitter.com/64NvLmflUo
— Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) August 3, 2018
