SpaceX's Dragon cargo ship returns from space station

A NASA photo shows a SpaceX Dragon capsule as it is released from the International Space Station in this image released to social media on May 11, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON -- A commercial cargo ship, operated by US private space firm SpaceX, left the International Space Station on Wednesday morning, after delivering almost 7,000 pounds (3,200 kg) of cargo to the orbiting lab.

The Dragon capsule, which arrived at the space station on April 10, was released at 9:19 a.m. EDT (1319 GMT) from the Earth-facing side of the station's Harmony module as the two flew over Australia.

Dragon will fire its thrusters three times to move to a safe distance from the station and a final deorbit burn will occur at about 2 p.m. (1800 GMT) sending the spacecraft into Earth's atmosphere, US space agency NASA said.

The capsule was expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean at 2:55 p.m. (1855 GMT), about 261 miles (420 km) southwest of Long Beach, California.

A recovery team will retrieve the capsule and its more than 3,700 pounds (about 1,700 kg) of return cargo, including the final batch of human research samples from former NASA astronaut Scott Kerry's one-year mission, which ended in March.

Dragon, the only space station resupply spacecraft able to return to Earth intact, was launched on April 8 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, for the company's eighth NASA-contracted commercial resupply mission to the station.