--- title: SpaceX 'Dragon' Back on Earth With Space Station Research description: The commercial cargo ship hit the Pacific Ocean on Sunday with research samples that could help improve astronaut health canonical: https://time.com/104113/spacex-dragon-returns/ author: Nolan Feeney article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-05-18T20:13:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T07:54:37.297Z article:section: Science og:title: SpaceX 'Dragon' Back on Earth With Space Station Research og:description: The commercial cargo ship hit the Pacific Ocean on Sunday with research samples that could help improve astronaut health og:url: https://time.com/104113/spacex-dragon-returns/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8d4afea1a8e8d3ef/69869005e53aba38a64d2a27/ap343727629861.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1492 og:image:height: 839 og:image:alt: SpaceX Dragon og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: SpaceX 'Dragon' Back on Earth With Space Station Research twitter:description: The commercial cargo ship hit the Pacific Ocean on Sunday with research samples that could help improve astronaut health twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8d4afea1a8e8d3ef/69869005e53aba38a64d2a27/ap343727629861.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # SpaceX Dragon Capsule Returns to Earth With Space Station Research > Sponsored content. 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It reaches 40,000 subscribers with a 34.2% open rate and a 2.1% click rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Nolan Feeney](https://time.com/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney May 18, 2014 8:13 PM UTC  In an image from video provided by NASA, the SpaceX commercial cargo ship Dragon prepares to leave the International Space Station on May 18, 2014. In an image from video provided by NASA, the SpaceX commercial cargo ship Dragon prepares to leave the International Space Station on May 18, 2014. NASA/AP  by [Nolan Feeney](https://time.com/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney May 18, 2014 8:13 PM UTC SpaceX’s Dragon cargo ship [returned safely to Earth](http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/may/spacex-dragon-spacecraft-returns-critical-nasa-science-from-space-station/#.U3kNV1hdXCN) Sunday afternoon, NASA announced shortly after its arrival in the Pacific Ocean. Dragon touched down packed with more than 3,500 pounds of scientific samples and other cargo from the International Space Station. Dragon will be retrieved by boats and taken to Los Angeles, California, then eventually to SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas facility. Some of its cargo, including frozen research samples, will be returned to NASA by Tuesday. “The science samples returned to Earth are critical to improving our knowledge of how space affects humans who live and work there for long durations,” NASA associate administrator for human exploration and operations William Gerstenmaier said in a statement. “Now that Dragon has returned, scientists can complete their analyses, so we can see how results may impact future human space exploration or provide direct benefits to people on Earth.” The research materials carried by Dragon could help scientists to understand why antibiotics aren’t as effective in space as they are on Earth. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/104113/spacex-dragon-returns/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/104113/spacex-dragon-returns/"},"headline":"SpaceX Dragon Capsule Returns to Earth With Space Station Research","datePublished":"2014-05-18T20:13:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T07:54:37.297Z","description":"The commercial cargo ship touched down in the Pacific Ocean Sunday with research samples that could help improve astronaut health. 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