AFP

WASHINGTON

THE Dragon cargo capsule owned by US company SpaceX on Thursday made a splash landing in the Pacific Ocean after a landmark mission to the International Space Station, NASA said.

“Dragon is in the water,” NASA said after SpaceX informed the US space agency of a splash landing at 11:42 am Eastern time (1542 GMT), two minutes ahead of schedule.

The vessel was supposed to land 560 miles off the coast of Baja, California, according to NASA, though a more precise location was expected to come shortly from SpaceX.

“Splashdown! SpaceX Dragon capsule safely down in Pacific Ocean ending first mission by a commercial company to resupply the ISS,” NASA said.

The safe return of the vessel followed a near flawless mission to deliver cargo to the $100 billion orbiting outpost, marking the first time a commercial outfit has sent its own capsule there and back.

NASA and US leaders have applauded the mission, which began on May 22, as a pioneering first step in the future of spaceflight, opening the path for private companies to take cargo and someday astronauts to the ISS.

The end of the threedecade US space shuttle programme in 2011 left the United States without a means to reach space on its own, and has forced the world’s astronauts to rely on Russia for rides to the ISS and back to Earth.