'Significant' Amount Of Seawater Found Onboard

The Dragon cargo spacecraft that recently returned from ISS contained a "significant amount of water" when it was retrieved from the Pacific Ocean, according to media reports.

Business Insider reports that NASA officials said that there was no indication of any damage to the experiments or cargo that were returned to Earth aboard the Dragon.

SpaceFlightNow reports that the water amounted to "several gallons" that were initially thought to have been from a burst water transport bag, but the bag was found intact aboard the spacecraft, indicating that the water had seeped in from outside after landing in the Pacific Ocean May 18.

In a mission briefing posted by NASA-TV on YouTube, space station deputy manager Dan Hartman said that the most likely place the water got into the spacecraft was through a "port or relief valve." He said the landing in heavy seas could have been a contributing factor.

The spacecraft is being shipped back to McGregor, TX, where it will be inspected by SpaceX.

(Dragon spacecraft image from file)

FMI: www.spacex.com