Dragon

International four-person crew returns after nearly four days flying a 90-degree polar orbit and observing Earth’s poles from orbit for the first time.

Agency describes the flight as a ‘crew-capable post-certification mission’ but acknowledges the possibility of flying without astronauts.

Commercial mission plans to observe Earth’s poles from low-Earth orbit for the first time and complete 22 research experiments, among other objectives.

NASA is considering flying the capsule without a crew on its next test flight.

NASA targets Tuesday at 5:57 p.m. for the return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who flew to the ISS on Boeing Starliner’s inaugural crew flight test.

Arrival of new space station occupants will allow Starliner’s Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return home.

Multinational crew comprises astronauts from the U.S., India, Poland, and Hungary.

Crew spent nearly eight months aboard the International Space Station conducting more than 200 scientific experiments.

Crew during the five-day mission pulled off several feats—including the first civilian spacewalk—that could open new opportunities for human spaceflight.

Spaceflight will be the ninth Commercial Crew astronaut rotation mission SpaceX has performed for NASA.