NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley (right). Photo credit: SpaceX

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, the two astronauts sent into orbit by SpaceX in May, are provisionally set to return back to the Earth inside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule on the 2nd of next month, August. For now, it’s planned that the two astronauts will board the Crew Dragon on the 1st of August in preparation for a next day return. But being provisional, it’s possible that the plans may change. The crew’s return to Earth will mark the last major test of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule in order to get them fully certified for crewed space missions. SpaceX notably made history in May for being the first private corporation to launch astronauts into space.

For return, the Crew Dragon sports a suite of four parachutes that’ll deploy in stages once the capsule is closer to the ground. The parachutes are meant to gently lower the Crew Dragon into the Atlantic Ocean, where the spacecraft and its astronauts will then be picked up by recovery personnel. According to NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine, the weather will play a key role in the return date of NASA’s astronauts.

If all goes as planned, SpaceX will become certified to carry out regular crewed missions to and fro the International Space Station (ISS). The Elon Musk-led aerospace company is currently scheduled for another mission, this time with four astronauts, in September.