NASA astronauts return home in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Spacecraft; scheduled to arrive at 2:48 p.m. EDT on Sunday

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are on their way home after after a two-month mission at International Space Station (ISS).  SpaceX made history to become the first private company to launch NASA astronauts into space from American soil.

SpaceX safely launched NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to space aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on May 30, 2020 after the weather forced NASA to scrub launch on May 27. The two NASA astronauts depart ISS and boarded the company’s new SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spaceship on Saturday, undocked from the International Space Station.

On Sunday, Aug. 2, having spent 2 months aboard the station, Behnken and Hurley will return home. The Demo-2 mission is designed to test and validate SpaceX’s crew transportation system – from launch to in-orbit, docking, landing, and recovery operations.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, “Endeavor,” is scheduled to undock from the space station at 7:34 p.m, Saturday, Aug 1. EDT, based on favorable weather conditions for splashdown off the coast of Florida. The crew is now targeting a landing of their ship, which they named “Endeavour,” in the Gulf of Mexico on around 2:48 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Below is a diagram provided by NASA about the  final departure burn, helping to send the Crew Dragon spacecraft along on its journey back to Earth, is complete. Then the Crew Dragon’s Draco thrusters will begin the departure phasing burn. You can read more here: https://nasa.gov/nasalive

.@Astro_Doug & @AstroBehnken will spend one more night in space prior to returning to their homeland, Earth.

While asleep, a six-minute departure phasing burn at 1:48 a.m. ET, Aug. 2 will set the spacecraft on the orbital path to a planned splashdown off the coast of Pensacola. pic.twitter.com/mC4cZLMw3Y

— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) August 2, 2020

You can watch the entire video below.

The window covers are open and bright sunlight is coming into the @SpaceX Dragon Endeavour as @AstroBehnken & @Astro_Doug prepare to depart, but they'll be able to put the covers up overnight to get some sleep: pic.twitter.com/RqTT3glvAp

— NASA (@NASA) August 1, 2020