SpaceX Dragon spacecraft set for ISS departure and Pacific Ocean splashdown

A robotic SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral last month is set for a Sunday departure from the International Space Station and subsequent Pacific Ocean splashdown.

Loaded with science experiments and excess items from the ISS, Dragon release is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Eastern time and its splashdown is expected off the coast of California at 12:10 a.m.

The spacecraft launched to the ISS on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 40 on Dec. 5 with nearly 6,000 pounds of food, supplies and experiments for the crew. The mission was SpaceX's 16th under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract, known as CRS-16.

Due to the ongoing partial government shutdown, however, NASA TV will not provide commentary during the livestream of Dragon's departure. The visuals-only stream will begin at 6:15 p.m. ET.

Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @EmreKelly.