Space X Dragon to return to earth today

Attention, earthlings: the Space X Dragon capsule is on its way home. Well, if by ‘way’ you mean hurtling through the atmosphere and ‘home’ you mean a splash-landing in the Pacific Ocean.

The first privately funded and built space craft to dock at the International Space Station (ISS) left earth just over a week ago and was captured by the ISS on 25 May. After spending five days attached to the station while its crew unloaded supplies and picked up some new cargo, it was released this morning to start its journey back to earth. It is scheduled to land a few hundred kilometres off the coast of southern California at approximately 17:44 CAT (GMT +2).

Space X and NASA have dutifully chronicled the journey on Twitter, and there is also a video if you’d like to watch the Dragon slowly (and I mean slowly) drift into space just over the coast of southern Africa.

The @SpaceX #Dragon capsule was released from #ISS robotic arm at 4:49a CT. Departure burns & maneuvers to begin its return trip to Earth.

— Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) May 31, 2012

Pic of #Dragon released from #ISS. Capsule begins return trip to Earth; splashdown in Pacific scheduled 11:44amET twitpic.com/9r8iiv

— NASA (@NASA) May 31, 2012

#Dragon spent 5 days, 16 hours and 5 minutes berthed to the space station.

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 31, 2012

#Dragon will return approximately 1,300 pounds of science experiments, hardware and cargo.

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 31, 2012

Follow #Dragon capsule return to Earth today. Coverage resumes 10:15amET ahead of deorbit burn and 11:44am splashdown: nasa.gov/ntv

— NASA (@NASA) May 31, 2012

Space X is the brainchild of South African-born PayPal co-founder, inventor, engineer and billionaire genius Elon Musk.