SpaceX Dragon Heads Back To Earth With Station Science, Gear

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A SpaceX Dragon capsule is on its way back to Earth with a load of science experiments and gear.

Astronauts at the International Space Station used the big robot arm to release the capsule Friday morning. SpaceX is aiming for a splashdown in the Pacific, just off Mexico's Baja California coast, later in the day.

The Dragon delivered a new docking port last month. It's bringing back 3,000 pounds of research and equipment, including 12 mice that flew up on the Dragon as part of a genetic study.

SpaceX is the only space station shipper capable of returning items for analysis back to Earth. That's why it's so important to NASA. Everyone else's cargo ships are filled with trash and burn up on re-entry.

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In:
• International Space Station
• NASA
• SpaceX
• Astronaut