π UPDATE β June 17, 2026
SpaceX's CRS-34 Dragon has successfully splashed down, completing the mission on June 17 β one day after undocking from the ISS. The capsule deployed its drogue parachutes followed by four main parachutes before a confirmed splashdown, safely returning critical science cargo and supplies to Earth.
π UPDATE β June 17, 2026
SpaceX's CRS-34 Dragon is now in the final stages of its return to Earth. The deorbit burn completed successfully, the trunk has been jettisoned, and the nosecone is closed β all nominal milestones ahead of splashdown. As of approximately 11:37 UTC, SpaceX confirmed splashdown was expected in roughly 35 minutes, putting touchdown around 12:12 UTC.
π UPDATE β June 17, 2026
SpaceX has confirmed that CRS-34 Dragon is on track to reenter Earth's atmosphere and splash down off the southern coast of California near Oceanside at approximately 5:10 a.m. PT on Wednesday, June 17 β right on schedule following its undocking from the ISS on June 16. Residents along the Southern California coast should expect a brief sonic boom as Dragon announces its arrival before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Recovery crews are standing by to retrieve the spacecraft and its cargo.
π UPDATE β June 16, 2026
It's confirmed: SpaceX's CRS-34 Dragon capsule has successfully departed the International Space Station as scheduled on June 16, beginning its return journey to Earth carrying scientific experiments and cargo. The undocking was captured on video by space enthusiast Joe Tegtmeyer, offering a stunning 4K view of the departure. Dragon is now en route for splashdown, with recovery operations to follow. This marks another smooth operational milestone for SpaceX's commercial resupply program.
πΉ 4K footage via @JoeTegtmeyer Β· June 16, 2026
π UPDATE β June 16, 2026
SpaceX's CRS-34 Cargo Dragon has successfully undocked from the International Space Station at approximately 16:26 UTC today. Separation was confirmed shortly after, with Dragon now performing four departure burns to safely move away from the station. Splashdown is expected in approximately 20 hours off the coast of California, returning valuable science cargo to Earth.
π¦ SpaceX (@SpaceX) β June 16, 2026
"Separation confirmed! Dragon is performing four departure burns to move away from the @Space_Station. Splashdown in ~20 hours off the coast of California"
View on X β
π UPDATE β June 16, 2026
SpaceX's CRS-34 Dragon has successfully undocked from the International Space Station, departing on schedule. SpaceX confirmed all cargo was loaded and the hatch closed ahead of an on-time departure at 12:05 p.m. ET. NASASpaceflight also confirmed the undocking is complete.
After 30 days attached to the International Space Station, SpaceX's Cargo Dragon spacecraft is heading home. The vehicle supporting the 34th Commercial Resupply Services mission (CRS-34) for NASA is scheduled to undock from the ISS on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at approximately 12:05 p.m. EDT β with splashdown off the California coast expected the following morning.
This particular Dragon β Cargo Dragon 2 capsule C209, on its sixth flight β launched from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 40 on May 15 and autonomously docked with the station's Harmony module two days later, delivering nearly 6,500 pounds of supplies and equipment to the Expedition 74 crew. The Falcon 9 booster that carried it also stuck its sixth landing at Landing Zone 40.
The return cargo is where things get interesting. Dragon will bring back thousands of pounds of scientific research samples, including bioprinted organ and cartilage tissue, materials developed for DNA-inspired cancer treatments, data from cryogenic fuel storage experiments, and an ocular imaging device. It's a reminder that the ISS's most valuable exports aren't hardware β they're research that can't be replicated in Earth's gravity.
NASA will stream the undocking live starting at 11:45 a.m. EDT on NASA+, Amazon Prime Video, and the agency's YouTube channel. Splashdown is targeted for approximately 5:08 a.m. PDT on Wednesday, June 17, though NASA won't provide a live stream for that phase β updates will appear on the agency's space station blog. For more on SpaceX's ongoing missions, check out our SpaceX coverage.
Sources & reporting notes
The links below identify the material source records used for this report.
- @SpaceX on X (2026-06-15T18:34:47.000Z) β Direct source
- @NASASpaceflight on X (2026-06-16T15:06:33.000Z) β Direct source
- @SpaceX on X (2026-06-16T15:52:50.000Z) β Direct source
- @NASASpaceflight on X (2026-06-16T16:26:32.000Z) β Direct source
- @SpaceX on X (2026-06-16T16:28:08.000Z) β Direct source
- @JoeTegtmeyer on X (2026-06-16T17:13:08.000Z) β Direct source
- @SpaceX on X (2026-06-17T04:08:26.000Z) β Direct source
- @SpaceX on X (2026-06-17T04:08:14.000Z) β Direct source
- @SpaceX on X (2026-06-17T11:37:14.000Z) β Direct source
- @SpaceX on X (2026-06-17T11:32:34.000Z) β Direct source
- @NASASpaceflight on X (2026-06-17T12:12:28.000Z) β Direct source
- @SpaceX on X (2026-06-17T12:11:32.000Z) β Direct source
- @SpaceX on X (2026-06-17T12:08:25.000Z) β Direct source
- @SpaceX on X (2026-06-17T12:07:43.000Z) β Direct source
Source links are preserved as published or accessed. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.
The BASENOR Editorial Desk covers Tesla, SpaceX, and related technology, curating reporting from primary sources β official accounts, regulatory filings, and software release data. Every article passes source-record and fact-checking review before publication. About the newsroom.
This report was curated by the BASENOR Editorial Desk from the sources listed above. Read our editorial standards or email editorial@basenor.com to report an error.
