Mission Pictures: SpaceX's 1st Dragon Flight to Space Station

Dragon Splashdown Map

NASA TV

A map shows where Dragon was expected to splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on May 31, 2012.

Elon Musk in SpaceX Mission Control

NASA TV

Elon Musk of SpaceX (3rd from right in front row, hand on his head), watches as the Dragon capsule returns to Earth, May 31, 2012.

Dragon Main Chutes Deployed

NASA TV

Dragon's main chutes are faintly visible as SpaceX's spacecraft returns to Earth on Thursday, May 31, 2012.

Dragon Re-entry First Sighting

NASA TV

Dragon capsule is barely visible (circled) as a white blob in the middle of this image, as it returns to Earth on Thursday, May 31, 2012.

SpaceX Dragon Detached from ISS

NASA TV

SpaceX's Dragon space capsule is detached from its docking port on the International Space Station on May 31, 2012 ahead of the spacecraft's return to Earth to end its first voyage to the orbiting lab.

SpaceX Dragon Capsule After Splashdown

SpaceX/Michael Altenhofen

SpaceX's first Dragon capsule to visit the International Space Station bobs in the Pacific Ocean after a successful splashdown that capped its successful test flight on May 31, 2012. The capsule landed off the coast of Baja California.

Bolden, Musk Admire History-Making Dragon Capsule

NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden (left) and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk view the historic Dragon capsule that returned to Earth on May 31 following the first successful mission by a private company to carry supplies to the International Space Station. This picture was taken June 13, 2012 at a SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas.

NASA Chief Charlie Bolden and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk

NASA/Bill Ingalls

NASA administrator Charles Bolden (left) congratulates SpaceX CEO and chief designer Elon Musk on June 13, 2012. Behind them is the Dragon capsule that on May 25 became the first private vehicle ever to dock with the International Space Station.

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