SpaceX return live: Crew Dragon landing time and how to watch ocean splashdown in the UK

ASTRONAUTS on SpaceX are set return to Earth TONIGHT (Sunday August 2) after they were sent to the International Space Station in May.

Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley made history when they became the first to be sent by Elon Musk's private company to the ISS. Here's how you can watch their journey.

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What time will Crew Dragon's NASA astronauts return to earth?

NASA hopes to land the astronauts on the evening of Sunday August 2.

However, the space agency is having to keep an eye on the weather as a tropical storm may affect the plans.

Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted: "We're targeting an Aug. 1 departure of @SpaceX's Dragon Endeavour spacecraft from the @Space_Station to bring @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug home after their historic #LaunchAmerica mission.

"Splashdown is targeted for Aug. 2. Weather will drive the actual date. Stay tuned."

The astronauts undocked at 7.35pm EDT last night (or 12.35am for those in the UK).

Dragon then performed a series of departure burns to line up with its landing ground.

After a trunk jettison, deorbit burn and re-entry into the earth's atmosphere, the parachutes will deploy and it will splash down approximately 19 hours later in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Pensacola, Florida at 2:48 p.m. EDT (or 7.48pm in the UK).

SpaceX yesterday tweeted: "SpaceX and NASA are targeting 7:34 pm EDT on Saturday, August 1 for Crew Dragon and the two astronauts to depart the orbiting laboratory and return to Earth."

Their capsule is intended to thrust itself back down before re-entry and splash into the Atlantic ocean after blazing through the atmosphere.

The astronauts will then be met by boats in the Atlantic Ocean.

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How can you watch in the UK?

You can watch the whole event unfold live on or

Coverage will continue throughout the day.

On Sunday August 2 the hatch closure is scheduled for approximately 5:45pm EDT (or 10:45pm in the UK)

Undocking is scheduled for 7:34 pm EDT (or 12:34am in the UK).

Splashdown is set for 2:42pm EDT (or 7:42pm in the UK).

Who are the astronauts?

American space heroes Robert Behnken, 49, and Douglas Hurley, 53, fired into orbit on May 30 aboard a spaceship built by California rocket firm SpaceX.

The pair took part in extensive training ahead of the historic mission and have plenty of spaceflight experience.

Born in St. Anne, Missouri, Behnken previously worked for the US Air Force before joining Nasa.

"Behnken will be the joint operations commander for the mission, responsible for activities such as rendezvous, docking and undocking, as well as Demo-2 activities while the spacecraft is docked to the space station," Nasa said.

"He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2000 and has completed two space shuttle flights."

Fellow crewman Hurley was born in New York and was previously a fighter pilot for the US Marine Corps.

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"Hurley will be the spacecraft commander for Demo-2, responsible for activities such as launch, landing and recovery," Nasa said.

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"He was selected as an astronaut in 2000 and has completed two spaceflights.";

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