Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, May 30, 2020 during their second takeoff attempt (successful!). - JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

They finally have their return ticket! On May 30, the two American astronauts who flew to the International Space Station (ISS) on the first manned flight of SpaceX's Dragon capsule, left for an indefinite period. NASA said on Friday that they are expected to return to Earth on August 1.

In detail, NASA aims "August 1 for the departure of the Dragon Endeavor spacecraft from SpaceX from the Space Station," tweeted Jim Bridenstine. "The ditching is scheduled for August 2. The exact date will depend on the weather. ” Bob Behken and Doug Hurley were launched on May 30 from Florida by a SpaceX rocket, becoming the first astronauts to be sent to the Space Station by a private company, under contract with Nasa.

NEWS: We're targeting an Aug. 1 departure of @ SpaceX's Dragon Endeavor spacecraft from the @Space_Station to bring @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug home after their historic #LaunchAmerica mission. Splashdown is targeted for Aug. 2. Weather will drive the actual date. Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/VOCV51gzLi

- Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) July 17, 2020

An unprecedented return for Dragon

The flight also marked the first manned flight launched from the United States since 2011, when the space shuttles were stopped. Since then, the Americans have been traveling on Russian rockets. Ultimately, Dragon will regularly take four astronauts to the ISS at a time, from NASA and partner space agencies (Canada, Japan, Europe, and potentially Russia). Frenchman Thomas Pesquet is currently training in the United States to probably take place in a Dragon flight in 2021.

It will be the first time that Dragon has made the return journey to Earth with men on board. Last year, she completed this mission empty and uneventful. The atmospheric reentry will test the resistance of the heat shield. Then, large parachutes will slow down the descent, before landing in the Atlantic, off Florida. It is the same method as for the old Apollo capsules in the 1960s and 1970s.

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